The Promise
by DehPeh
Summary: A week after entering Xadia, Rayla knows they're being hunted. By what they have yet to find out. Cover by @byghostface Colored by @mikemcgeeart
1. Chapter 1: Worry

It had been a week since they entered Xadia. Rayla was on edge. She knew they were being hunted. She could feel it. There was that deep sense of dread, of impending doom. She felt it in the cold, still spring air. The sounds of the nature around her seemed...off.

A branch snapped, she jerked her head towards the sound. A dark shape ducked behind a tree. She was tired, and hoped that it was only sign of her weariness.

Humans and elves alike would both benefit from kidnapping the Dragon Prince, or by killing the young Moonshadow elf. Components from either would prove very useful to a dark mage. Moonshadow elf horns were powerful, and more so the younger the elf. As for the Dragon Prince himself, who knew what sort of dark power could be unleashed?

Elves would simply see it as the final reason to wipe the humans from the continent. Proof of the death of the heir. There had been speculation over the disappearance of the egg, but no one knew for certain of its fate.

But that wasn't the only reason the young elf was on edge. The other reason came because of her companion, Callum. The memory of what she had almost said to him was burned into her mind. It kept replaying, over and over. "What was it I had almost confessed?" she thought, "that I think of him as my best friend?" She shook her head, "that's not the sorta thin' you confess when you think they're gonna die."

Rayla _knew_ she didn't love him. She had only known him for three weeks at this point. Exactly three weeks. Today was May 11th, and the last full moon was April 20th. She felt the waxing moon as it turned to first quarter. She became stronger as it rose.

Callum caught her attention and suggested they stop and make camp soon. She gave him a reluctant nod. They were all tired, the young dragon especially, and she knew that, but wished they could press on.

They reached a clearing suitable for camp. The human prince made to gather wood for a fire, but she shook her head.

"No fire tonight, it's too dangerous," he grumbled at her, "we'll have to huddle together for warmth."

Callum gave a sigh of reluctance before he pulled his cloak out of his pack. This is something they had done almost every night, yet hadn't gotten used to it. Things were tense between the pair since Ezran and Corvus left to return to Katolis. Rayla could tell he was uncomfortable. She was unsure as to why, but suspected that whatever it was, it was for a different reason than hers.

Every time she got close to him like this she was thrown back into the same scene. She remembered Callum gasp for air as she cradled his stiff, clammy body. She pled with him to wake up, to breathe, but it seemed her words fell upon empty air. Then, right before he woke up, when she almost...She shook the thought off. The mission was more important than whatever _that_ was, but she still couldn't help but feel that it was her fault for what happened to him. If she hadn't tried to go save that dragon by herself, he wouldn't have had to use dark magic to come to her rescue.

Her mind was circular at this point. Mission, danger, Callum, guilt. Always in that exact order. She was hopeless.

Rayla sat down and allowed Callum to wrap his cloak around them. She leaned up against a tree behind them, and after a moment of hesitance, against him, too. Zym curled up at their feet.

"You should rest," Callum said with a gentle whisper.

She shook her head, "no, you were the one who suggested we stop. I'll take first watch."

"Rayla, you've hardly slept since we crossed the border. You need to sleep." his arguing almost sounded like begging.

"I've trained for this sorta thin', you haven't. I can handle it. Get some rest."

The last sentence sounded more like a command than a suggestion. Callum resolved that it was in his best interest to not press further, even if he disagreed.

He could tell that Rayla had been acting differently since Ez's departure. She acted uncharacteristically nervous and jittery, and at times like just a moment ago, paranoid. Callum didn't understand. The only danger they had encountered had been Sol Regem when they first crossed the border, and that seemed like only a minor setback. Rayla had explained that he was now the one who guarded the border ever since Regem Draconis's demise, and at Callum's confusion she corrected herself to say the human name for the King of the Dragons. But once Sol Regem had realized that the two of them had The Dragon Prince as their charge, he simply let them pass.

After that, they hadn't experienced anything. It had just been the two of them and the fledgling dragon, yet Rayla had insisted that they were being hunted. Callum simply wanted her to sleep, to clear her head of her tiredness. He realized that she had done just that when her head drooped into his shoulder and soft snores escaped her lips. This was something she hadn't done before.

"Looks like I get first watch after all," he whispered to himself with a slight smirk.

The night was quiet. Moonlight revealed itself through gaps in the leaves above. A cold breeze drifted across his exposed face. Callum didn't mind it much, he was plenty warm sharing his cloak with Rayla. Content with letting his mind wander, it found its way to Ezran. He hoped Corvus was doing well to protect his brother. He didn't know the soldier for more than ten minutes, but his aunt had trusted him, so Callum would do the same.

The prince was also concerned about what sort of threats the younger boy would face as king. He heard all about the coups, conspiracies, and assassination attempts Queen Aanya of Duren had to face, and she was still a few years older. There was also the matter of convincing the other four kingdoms to seek peace with the elves and dragons. Callum wasn't sure that the gesture of returning Zym back to his mother would be enough to convince their Xadian neighbors to do the same.

Rayla always tried to put on her bravest face when she said it would be enough to get the elves and dragons talking about peace with the humans, but he saw right through that. Her heart was in the right place, but he was still afraid. He was a human in Xadia, after all.

"I'm a _human_ in _Xadia_," he thought as it began to make sense to him, "that's why Rayla's so paranoid." He sighed at his revelation, partly because he had been oblivious to the fact that his race had been banished. She had been right about not trusting Soren and Claudia back at the Moon Nexus, so he resolved that he should trust her now.

Rayla stirred in her sleep for a moment before settling into a new position, and Callum was reminded she was there. He wondered if she was going to be angry with him for letting her sleep, but shook that thought off. He knew she needed the sleep, and he was going to let her as long as she needed.

Still, he struggled to fight off his own grogginess He wished he could join her in her slumber, but knew he couldn't. His eyelids drooped as his head began to lean to the side. His cheek brushed up against one of Rayla's horns. The softness of its texture came to his surprise. Callum jerked his head straight and hoped he didn't disturb her, and was relieved that she only inhaled sharply before resuming her snores.

He didn't last much longer than that. Sleep claimed him within minutes, her hair like a pillow to him as he rested between her horns.

Author's Notes:

I appreciate any and all support. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to ask! Follow me on Twitter ( Deh_Peh) where you'll get to see updates and possible sneak peeks on what I'm working on. Feel free to also leave me suggestions on what you would like to see in the future there as well.


	2. Chapter 2: Broken

Callum woke before Rayla, which he was glad for. She wouldn't be able to scold him for letting both of them fall asleep. He was groggy from not getting enough sleep. The prince yawned and attempted to stretch before realizing that something was pinning his arms down.

In her sleep, Rayla had managed to completely wrap herself around him. One arm around his chest and the other around his back. Her face was buried in his shoulder

"When did she get so touchy feely?" he thought, uncomfortable. It was unusual for her to cling to him like this. He sighed and resolve to try to wake her up. He started by nudging her and said her name softly, having no effect, he repeated.

"Just a few more minutes…" she muttered. Callum sighed, nudging her again a bit harder than he meant to. Rayla's eyes flew open and she pulled back from him. The surprise in her eyes was evident, but it quickly turned into something else as she realized it was him. Her cheeks flushed, and he had to do a double take. She could do that? He had never known her to be embarrassed about anything.

"Did I fall asleep?" Callum nodded in response. "Ugh, why didn't you wake me up?" He knew she would be irritated that he didn't. "You needed the sleep, Rayla." She grumbled and got up, shaking the cloak off of her. She knew he was right. She was exhausted, and felt much better now having gotten some decent rest.

"Rayla?" She gave him a look of slight disdain mixed with something he didn't quite recognize. Callum bit his cheek, "umm, why were you hugging me like that?" She turned sheepish, a look that didn't suit her usual mien, and the blush that had faded returned. "I, uhh, was cold," she said, unconvincing.

Callum wasn't satisfied with this answer, but didn't press her. She turned away from him, relieved that he had let the issue go. "I'm going to go see if I can find us some breakfast," Rayla broke the silence, half turning to look at him, "don't go anywhere. I'll be back in a bit."

He simply nodded in response. He still sat against the tree, wrapped up in his cloak, confused about the events of this morning. It hadn't been that cold last night, so there was no need for her to coddle him the way she did. "Unless," he paused to think, "no, no there's no way. She's only known me for three weeks, she couldn't possibly like me, could she?"

Callum was horrified with the thought. "She's pretty much my best friend, she can't like me." He sighed and buried his head in his knees. "This is not okay," he mumbled.

"What's not okay?" Rayla asked. Distracted by his thoughts, he hadn't notice that she had returned. "How hungry I am!" he hurried, "I'm so hungry it's not okay. I hope you were able to find us something to eat." She furrowed her brow and gave him a strange look. "I found some moonberries and sunfruit," she offered him a fruit, "wanna try some?" He eyed the reddish orange orb for a moment before accepting it.

She winced as Callum grabbed it from her hand. "Are you alright?" he gave her a slight frown. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said as she inspected her hand, "sunfruit has thorns, and I was a bit careless gettin' it since I was so hungry. I don't think I got all the thorns out." He reached out and grabbed the elf's hand, gentler this time, and drew it to himself so he could get a better look. Her cheeks turned pink.

"The barbs are in too deep, they'll need to be cut out," she withdrew her hand. "Yeah, I thought so," she sighed, "I'd do it myself, but seein' as they're in my dominant hand, that's probably not a good idea." Callum gave her a confused look. "That doesn't make much sense. You dual wield blades, shouldn't you be able to do this same with a small knife?" She shook her head at him, "no, I've had a lot of practice with those. I don't cut thorns out of my hands very often."

Callum pulled a small blade out of his pack. Rayla hesitated. "I'll be careful," he reassured her before she reluctantly offered her hand. She blushed again when he gently grasped his hand. "I wouldn't mind this if there weren't a bunch of thin's pokin' at my skin," she thought.

He slipped, cutting deeper than he meant, causing Rayla to grimace. "Did you think I was havin' too much fun usin' both my hands?" she scowled at him. "Hold still," he said, his voice edged with frustration. His nervous hands slipped again, creating a large gash across her palm.

Rayla yanked her hand back. "Okay, you're done. I could probably do better with my feet." She attempted to stem the flow of blood with her other hand. "Well maybe you should've been more careful and not gotten your hand stuck full of barbs," he barked as he grabbed a bandage out of his pack. He sighed, "sorry, that was out of line. We both should have been more careful." Her shoulders slumped as she allowed Callum to bandage her cut. "Yeah, you're right."

Once the bandage was securely fastened, the pair returned to their breakfast. Rayla hoped that Callum wasn't suspicious of her. He had no reason to be. She wasn't hiding anything from him. She shook her head. She knew what she felt when she woke up. The feeling of safety in someone's presence had carried over from her dream of Runaan.

Rayla was young. She couldn't remember how old, maybe five or six. She had woken up from a bad dream and began to cry. Runaan came into her room and immediately understood. He said no words. He simply got into bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her until they both drifted off to sleep. The next morning, Rayla had her arms wrapped around him much like she did Callum.

Rayla's thoughts shifted back to the boy. Despite the prejudices between humans and elves, he had been nothing but kind, if a little mistrusting at first. "And he's sweet," the thought surprised her, but she welcomed it. She remembered back to the time they were traveling by boat and he wanted nothing but to help distract her. "He still owes me three questions," she smirked to herself.

She watched him as he took a bite out of the sunfruit. It had been overripe when she picked it, so it burst open and spilled down his chin and into his lap. She couldn't help but laugh at him. "You're suppose to eat it, not wear it, you big dumb human," she quipped. Callum simply frowned at his ruined breakfast. "Sorry, you can have mine. I'm not very hungry," she lied. He eyed her for a moment. "But wasn't that the reason you got the barbs in your hand, because you were hungry?" Rayla shook her head. "I, uh, lost my appetite." He raised an eyebrow at her. "You're sure?" She nodded, offering the fruit. He brushed her hand as he grabbed it, and she clung to it for a moment too long. She found herself blushing again. He gave her a concerned look before she let go.

"Rayla is definitely acting weird, but that's no solid evidence that she likes me, which is good I guess," he thought, but he shrugged it off, thinking that maybe it was because Ezran wasn't with them. Then he had an idea. Pulling out the knife he used previously, Callum cleaned the blood off of it by pouring water from his canteen on it. Once he was satisfied with it's cleanliness, he took it to the fruit. Hoping it wouldn't burst like the first one, he carefully cut it in half, keeping one and offering the other to Rayla.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," he repeated his aunt's mantra, giving Rayla a dumb smile. "Besides, I feel like I kind of owe you for your hand." She returned a smile of thanks as she accepted the fruit. "He's just too damn adorable," she thought with a sigh.

As Rayla bit into her half Zym finally woke up and nudged her. She frowned. "I can't believe I forgot about Zym. He was just sleepin' so peacefully, and I got distracted by the barbs. I only got enough for the two of us, and I already picked all the fruit I could without gettin' my hand stuck with more of the bastards." The dragon made a sound of disappointment. "Sorry buddy, it looks like you're going to have to find something for yourself on the way. I'm sure Rayla wants to get going soon," Callum said, the last part more to the elf than the dragon. She nodded in response. "We should be able make some decent headway today now that I've actually had some rest." Callum gave her a cocky grin, "see? I told you you needed the rest." She waved him off, but grinned.

"Come on dummy, we still have a long way to go, and we'll need to stop somewhere soon for supplies," she got up and pulled out her map, "there's a small town about a day and a half from here."

He nodded in agreement and began to follow her as she set off. "We should start making a list of the things we need. I think food is on the top of that list." Rayla smirked at him, "that sunfruit was a bit too tart for you, wasn't it?" He shook his head. "No, I'm just glad the second one didn't explode all over me. Speaking of which, I hope this stuff doesn't stain," he said looking down, and she chuckled at him. "Nah, it washes out, don't worry."

"I'm thinkin' we should also get a tent and some sleepin' bags." Rayla thought back on what happened earlier and shuttered with embarrassment, "and we'd only share body heat out of necessity." Callum agreed without a word.

"We should probably get more bandages, just in case we have any more accidental injuries." She nodded and held up her hand, "this was your last one, wasn't it?" He grimaced, "yeah, it was. Sorry about that." She waved him off. "It's fine. I've had worse."

They continued on in silence for several hours. In the time they spent walking, Zym had managed to catch enough bugs to fill his appetite. Having expended most of his energy, he insisted one of the two carry him so he could nap. Rayla made a remark about only having one good hand. Callum heaved a sigh as he bent down to pick up the princeling, taking note that in soon he would be too big to carry. "You need to learn how to fly better," he grumbled, but Zym was already asleep.

It was late afternoon before Rayla said they should stop to find something to eat. Callum had been hungry for a while, carrying Zym had taken a decent amount of energy out of him, but didn't complain as Rayla had less to eat than him.

"Oh look! Erdbeere!" Rayla said excitedly as she spotted them on the forest floor. She bent down to pick them up to show Callum, who gave her a confused look. "Sorry, earthberry." She handed him one. Surprised by the familiarity of its appearance he looked at it for a moment before taking a bite out of it. "On the other side of the border, we call these 'strawberries'," he said aloud before saying to himself, "elves are weird."

"Regardless of the name, there are plenty for all three of us to snack on. Dig in." She crouched as Callum let Zym down to take a sniff. "It's food, you goof," Rayla sniggered at the dragon's reluctance, proffering him one. Getting the hint, he took it out of her hand and quickly ate it before consuming several more. Callum couldn't help but laugh at his two companions.

A large shape watched from the trees above. He had been tracking them for the better part of the late morning and afternoon. Finally having caught up with them, he scaled to a vantage point.

He had been waiting for a moment like this for them to be inattentive to their surroundings. Satisfied, he nocked an arrow. "Too easy," he thought to himself, putting the bow and arrow away. He snuck back down the tree and circled around to where they had their backs turned. Creeping closer, he stepped on a branch, snapping it.

The sound alerted Rayla, and she jerked her head up to scan the area. "Damn it," the hunter said under his breath as the elf readied her blades. It was a long shot to sneak up on them. He knew he was much too large and clumsy for stealth. She said something to her human companion and she whisked off towards the source of the sound. "Well, at least she's coming to me. Once I've dealt with her, the human should be easy." He brandished his sword.

Rayla walked past him to his left. Seeing an opening, he charged. Being as large as he was, his charge wasn't very subtle, and the young elf quickly turned and dodge past him. Rearing back, he swung his blade at her. He misjudged her height and struck nothing but air. Seeing the opening, Rayla struck the unprotected back of his knee, sending him to the ground.

Collecting himself, he pushed himself back to his feet and shoulder charged her, making a solid connection and pinned her to a tree. He heard the satisfying snap of a couple ribs. Rayla jabbed the pommel of her right blade into her opponent's temple, sending him reeling. She dropped to her knees to regain the breath she lost. Recovering, he swung his blade down on her. She managed to block it, but the powerful strike caused her to lose her grip on her left blade. Partially due to the strength of her opponent, but also due to the ache that was now present in her side.

She made a dive to grab her blade, but met the hunter's foot, causing her to trip and fall. He knocked her remaining blade aside and pinned her down to the ground with a knee to her sternum. He pressed down and heard another satisfying crack.

"Callum!" She screamed, her voice was filled with panic before her adversary covered her mouth. "I don't think so. Traitors like you deserve to die alone." He admired the fear he saw in her eyes. It brought a wicked smile to his face, which only seemed to increase his target's horror.

Callum heard her. He instructed Zym to stay put before he rushed off in her direction. He ducked behind a tree to survey the situation. He panicked and wasn't sure what to do when he saw her pinned to the ground. Lightning would hit both of them, and wind wouldn't have much of an effect.

"What would Rayla do?" He thought. Then, he saw a glint on the ground just a few feet away from him. It was one of Rayla's switchblades! He had no idea how to use it, but he picked it up before yelling, "hey, over here!" The hunter looked over to him and sighed in moderate annoyance. "I'll deal with you in a moment." He stood over Rayla before turning to the human. He was about to make his way over to charge at the human when he tripped over Rayla, sending him to the ground. His head made solid contact with a rock, making a sickening thud, knocking him unconscious.

Callum rushed over to help Rayla. "Are you alright?" He asked her, helping her up. She clutched her side. "Broken ribs, at least three of them. I heard them snap." She glance over at her attacker. "Is he dead?" The hunter heaved a breath, but didn't get up. "I guess that answers that."

"Come on, Rayla, we need to get you out of the open." He helped Rayla to her feet and led her back to where he stowed Zym and helped her down to sit against a tree. "I'm going to go back and get your blade."

Upon reaching the hunter's unconscious form, he stopped for a moment in consideration before he began looting the hunter. Finding a couple of canteens of water, a small pouch of what he assumed was food, another pouch of magical looking artifacts, and a bag of what he thought could be tradeables. He stuffed this all in his pack as he praised his good fortune before he picked up Rayla's remaining blade.

When he returned, he handed her the blade. "Sorry, I don't know how to put it away." She grappled it and flipped it closed. "'T's fine." She breathed heavily, painfully. "I grabbed some stuff from that guy who attacked you, we'll take inventory of it once we're someplace safe." She nodded as he began stuffing strawberries into his pack.

Once Callum was satisfied, he closed it up and slung it over his shoulder before helping Rayla back to her feet. "We need to get some distance from him, come on."

"We should go west. We'll be back tracking a bit, but he'll be expecting us to go east, so we might lose him for a bit," she wheezed as she clutched her side. "These damned things are makin' it hard to breathe," she thought. Callum noticed this. "Are you alright?" He asked. "I can manage. Come on, we need to go."

Their progress was slow, but Callum didn't want to push Rayla too much. He was worried about her. He always imagined Rayla as being this unstoppable force that would always be there to protect him, but now he realized just how vulnerable she is, especially given her present condition. He realized that now he needed to protect her. He thought back on how close she was to dying. This massive being towering over top of her. It looked as if he was about to bring his blade to her throat. If she died, that would have been it. He had no idea where to go, or what to do. He would probably eat a poisonous plant, or get attacked by a wild animal, or even by elves. He needed her just as much as she needed him, he realized.

Rayla was experiencing similar emotions to her human companion. She felt weak because of her injuries, and even more so that she couldn't defend herself. She hated that it was necessary for Callum to come save her, again. At this point she had lost count how many times he has saved her. "It should be the other way around," she thought bitterly. But then she remembered the fear she felt. She almost died, and Callum prevented that. She realized that she needed him as much as he needed her.

The sun was setting, and Rayla's energy was quickly dwindling. She ended up having to lean on Callum for support, something he seemed happy to give her. The prince's voice came to her relief when he announced that he spotted a small cave that he thought was suitable shelter. He led her over and gingerly squeezed them both through the opening, while Zym had no trouble following them. Callum sat Rayla down against the cave wall. "Help me out of my armor." She ordered more than asked, but he obliged.

He helped her undo the side straps and pulled it up over her head. "That's a bit better," she winced. She took a deep breath now that her swollen side was free from it's restriction. "I need to ask a favor of you, and this is somethin' neither of us will like." She leaned forward and pushed herself away from the wall. "I need you to see how bad the breaks are." Callum gave her an unsure look. "How do I do that?" She sighed and winced again. "You're gonna have to push on 'em. It's gonna hurt, but it's necessary, and it's much easier for someone else to do it."

"O-okay, but you have to tell me if it hurts too much." She nodded. "What am I feeling for?"

"If it's cracked but still attached, it'll be pretty firm. If it's broken clean through, it'll be a bit springy, and, well, if it's worse than that, you'll feel chunks. But I don't think it's that bad, I don't taste any blood."

Callum reluctantly began poking at the swollen part of her left side, a bit too lightly at first, which Rayla reprimanded him for. "You're gonna have to press harder than that to feel anythin'." He began poking harder, and once he was finished he explained his findings to Rayla.

"At least two of them are broken completely, but they're springing back into place, which is good?" He said with an amount of unsurity, "and I think the third one is just cracked." Rayla sighed, which shot pain up her side. "I guess that's a little better than what I was thinkin'."

"On good note, I did loot the guy who attacked you. Sort of a payment for hurting you." He pulled his findings out of his back. "Got some water, some weird magical-looking things that might be useful, I think this might be some sort of jerky, and some things that might be valuable for trading."

"Let me see those magical thin's." She reached with her right arm. She examined one in particular that appeared to be made by Sunfire elves. "Callum, this is a healing stone!" She was more excited than what her condition allowed, and settled down from the pain. "It's enchantment doesn't seem to be very strong, but it'll still help my ribs heal. Instead of them taking several weeks, they should be better in a matter of just a week or two." Callum shared her excitement. "That's great! Uh, how do they work exactly?" He watched her as she played with the stone in her hand. "Well, it's pretty simple, actually. All you gotta do is just put it within proximity of what needs healed, and it does the rest." She then took the stone and tucked it up into her undershirt. "There, all done."

"Now, let me have some of that jerky, I'm pretty hungry." He handed her the pouch. "I also grabbed some more strawberries, uh, what was it you called them? Herb berries?" Rayla chucked, and then winced. "Ow! Don't make me laugh." He gave her an apologetic look. "They're 'Erdberren', or 'earthberries'."

They finished their meal in relative silence, only making small talk here and there. Rayla then explained that the accelerated healing drains energy, making the subject drowsy. Callum didn't mind that she seemed to want to get more rest until she suggested how she would have to do it.

"For me to be most comfortable, you'll have to be a bit uncomfortable." When he looked at her confused she explained further. "I'm going to have to lay on you. Your body's a lot softer than the rock floor, but I can deal with it if that makes you too uncomfortable." He considered this for a moment. "No, I want you to be in as little pain as possible." Callum flashed her an unsure smile, to which Rayla returned with a warm one.

The prince propped himself up against the most inviting portion of the cave wall he could find before he invited Rayla into his lap. She settled in and thanked him. Zym, not wanting to be left out, curled up next to them.

Callum was the first to fall asleep, which didn't surprise Rayla one bit. The ache from her side prevented her from falling asleep too easily. What did take Rayla by surprise was the way her pillow wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin just between her horns, as if to protect her from further harm. Not too tight to hurt her, but just tight enough to soothe her. This did nothing for the pain, but it eventually did help her manage to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 3: In the Cave

It was still dark outside when Rayla woke. Callum's arms were still wrapped around her. His hands laid interlocked on top of hers as they rested on her stomach. "He must have gotten cold last night," she thought as she noticed his cloak now blanketed them. "Or maybe he thought I was cold." Which was true to some degree, as Moonshadow elves largely lived in a nocturnal lifestyle, so they had a lower natural body temperature.

This was the reason Rayla hated summer, even though she was born in it. She always thought it was too hot and unnecessary. To her dismay she realized the new season was fast approaching. It was close to half way through May, another month and a week and it would be the solstice.

But right now the only thing she found uncomfortable was the ache in her side. The healing stone had done just as she said it would, accelerating the healing and lessening the pain.

She could tell Callum was still asleep. His breathing was slow and rhythmic. She decided, somewhat selfishly, that it was too early to wake him. She shifted herself into a more comfortable position and pressed her body into his. Sleep found her again within moments.

Callum woke up a couple of hours later to find Rayla curled up against his stomach, her head resting on his chest, still fast asleep. While physically he was perfectly comfortable, he still felt conflicted about being so intimate with her. It made him feeling like he was unintentionally leading her on, even though he wasn't sure of her feelings.

Regardless of his conflicted feelings, he let her sleep, because he knew she needed it. He resolved to simply wait until she roused of her own accord.

That's two days in a row now that he had woken up before her he realized. The prince chalked it up to pure exhaustion the first day, the healing stone Rayla was using for the second. She told him that it would drain her energy, but she didn't tell him how much. This was cause for a small amount of worry on his part.

Callum was anxious to deliver Zym as quickly as possible so he could return to Katolis to support his brother. "They've probably crowned him by now," he thought. He knew the day of his coronation would come eventually, but he had always envisioned himself being right there, right next to him. Now, he was half a continent away from his best friend, his no so little anymore, little brother.

He heaved a sigh. The rapid inflation and deflation of his lungs was enough to wake Rayla. She lifted her head, eyes still glazed over. The wrinkles from his shirt were imprinted on her cheek. He couldn't help but think how cute she looked. Cute? That's not right.

Rayla yawned and sat upright to stretch before she remembered the pain in her left side and cringed. Callum frowned. "You feeling better?" She nodded, her eyes didn't seem to want to open all the way. "Wee bit." She yawned again. "Dinnae thin' ah've slept tha much in mah lyffe." He stared at her for a moment. "I guess you're still tired, your accent is so thick I couldn't understand a thing you said." He chuckled. "Sorry," she said with another yawn, "not used to sleepin' tha much."

"Hey, where's Zym?" Rayla asked after a moment, her voice returning to normal. The young dragon poked his head out from under the cloak. "Guess that answers that," she chuckled, and then immediately regretted doing so. Zym made a concerned noise as she clutched her side. "Don't worry about me, little one, I'll be fine." She pet his mane.

Callum decided that this would be a good image to draw. A sleepy Rayla petting a sleepy Zym? Something he might never see again. She'd usually be wide awake by the time he rose. He committed it to memory for later, when he could draw a little more inconspicuously.

For now, it was time for breakfast. "Who's ready for some more berries and jerky?" he asked with feigned enthusiasm, and wasn't surprised when both of his companions glared at him. "My side would hurt a lot more if you were actually funny," she razzed. Callum furrowed his brow and puckered his lips at the elf while she suppressed a chuckled. "Only teasin'," she said, "I'm starvin'."

"So I guess that leads to my next question," he began divvying out portions for the three of them. Zym happily accepted his offering. "What's our next move?" Rayla shrugged. "We'll stay here for a couple days until I get my strength back. That fight took more outta me then I care to admit." Callum frowned. "I don't think we have enough food to last that long, unless we ration it out."

"That big oaf I fought yesterday didn't seem to have that much on him, you think he might have a camp nearby?" Callum knew the look in her eyes. "Ooh no you don't, you're still hurt. We shouldn't go looking for a fight."

"We won't be. You'll lure him away while I raid his stuff." He shook his head at her. "I don't think it's a good idea, and for me to say that means it's a really bad idea."

"Come on, you know we need stuff, and gettin' it for free from someone who attacked us makes it all the better." He shook his head again, his expression hard. "No." Rayla gave him a look. "Don't you give me sad Zym eyes, you know I'm right."

"I'll be careful."

"No."

She looked at the ground with a frown. Callum sighed and reached out his hand to gently squeeze hers. The gesture taking her by surprise, her cheeks flushed as she looked back up at him. "Rayla, I don't think you understand how I felt seeing you pinned to the ground like that. I-I," he swallowed, "I felt so helpless. I felt like I was about to watch my best friend die."

"Callum-"

"I-I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone," he began to tear up. "No offense, but it seemed like you could barely keep up with him then, let alone now that you're hurt. We should just avoid him as much as possible."

Rayla wrapped her arms around him. "Callum, I'm sorry. I was bein' dumb and inconsiderate." He returned the hug and sniffed. "You're right. About everythin'. I was terrified when he had me pinned. I-I..." she trailed off as she began to sob. "It's okay, Rayla, you don't have to say it." She buried her face into his shoulder. "I-I don't want to die, I was so scared." She sniffed.

"Runaan always taught me to not fear death, that 'I was already dead', but I just couldn't help it. I wanted to scream." Callum squeezed her a bit too tight and she let out a yelp. He loosened his grip and muttered an apology. "I don't want you to die, either. I need you, Rayla."

They sat there, arms wrapped around each other, for several minutes. Callum stroked her hair to sooth her until she had cried her fill. She didn't want to pull back when she did, but she knew she needed to. It felt so safe in his arms, like nothing could ever hurt her again.

Rayla laughed at herself sardonically. "Cryin' so soon, we haven't even had breakfast yet." The prince attempted a comforting smile. "There's nothing wrong with crying before breakfast."

She sighed. "I know, it's just that Moonshadow elves aren't supposed to show fear or emotion."

"I remember you saying that. But the thing is, that's just not you." She gave him a curious look. "You're not cold and emotionless. You're warm and kind, and so much more than what your culture says you should be. You're a Moonshadow elf and an assassin, yes, but you're also Rayla. And Rayla is my best friend, right next to Ezran."

She smiled warmly. "Thank you, Callum. That really means a lot." Her smile then turned into a smirk. "I also remember telling you not to give me anymore heartfelt speeches, you big dumb human." He laughed as she punch him lightly on the shoulder. "Come one, let's eat. All this cryin' and stuff made me hungry."

"Are you hungry, or are you 'habsolutely hurious'?" He asked with a chortle. Rayla snorted, and then clutched her side. "No, that's only when you steal the last of my moonberry juice."

They sat in silence as they ate. Rayla's mind wandered for a few minutes before it settled back on Callum. She sighed as she thought about the boy. He always seemed to know exactly what to say to her to make her feel better, and he always seemed to know what was wrong even before she did. At this point she had fully realized her feelings about him. There's no way she couldn't like him, and somehow she was fine with that.

But she knew she couldn't tell him. The mission came first, and things such as romantic feelings were a distraction they couldn't afford. They needed to get Zym back to his mother, and then get Callum back out of Xadia as soon as possible. She didn't want to rub it in Callum's face, but she had been right about the danger they were in. They were being hunted, and now they both knew.

* * *

The hunter woke up laying face down in the dirt. His head pounded, his face caked in blood and leaves. He rolled himself onto his back and managed to sit up as the world spun. He realized he hit himself, hard.

It was embarrassing how he had been defeated. Something had been lost in translation between his head and his feet. It should have been an easy victory for him against two children. Hell, he was almost there. He should have killed the elf while he had the chance.

He recalled seeing the human hold one of the elf's blades. The boy looked afraid of it. He obviously had no skill with it.

Still, it did not do well for the hunter to reprimand himself. He would have another chance, he was sure of it. And next time it should be easier. He knew the elf was hurt.

Now it was time for him to tend to his own wounds. He reached for the pouch that housed his healing stone, and upon his realization that it was gone he cursed. "Those little shits are gonna get what's comin' to them."


	4. Chapter 4: Rift

Callum had become accustomed to Rayla's new sleeping arrangement somewhat begrudgingly over the past couple of days. He made a joke and accused her of enjoying it too much, to which the elf became rather defensive and blushed brightly. At the prince's continued jests, she unceremoniously leaned back and jabbed her horns into his chest. Much to Callum's pain, and Rayla's relief, this got him to shut up.

Their time spent together in the cave had been filled with uncomfortable silences and awkward conversations. Rayla couldn't seem hold on to a topic for long. She hope that her actions wouldn't be cause for too much suspicion on the boy's part. She would tell him how she felt, when the time was right, and right now was definitely not that time.

Callum knew she was hiding something from him, but he didn't press her to tell what it was. He trusted her that she would tell him when she was ready. Still, it was going to be a difficult journey, and the crazed behemoth that hunted them didn't help one bit.

"Breakfast?" He asked her. Rayla nodded at the few berries and strips of jerk that were left. "This is all we have left. We'll need to head out today." He couldn't express his relief. He was bored. He missed his brother. Ezran had always been the one to fill the awkward silence, and without him part of the older prince couldn't stand being around Rayla. He shrugged that thought off. "Things will get better," he resolved to himself.

"How are you feeling?" The prince inquired.

"Are you going to ask me that everyday?" She huffed

"Yup. And you're going to deal with it."

She rolled her eyes at him. He was obnoxious, but in an endearing sort of way. "Yeah, I'm feeling a bit better than I was yesterday."

She let out a wistful sigh. She knew a human-elf relationship would never work in the world they lived in. But first that would require him to reciprocate her feelings.

They finished their breakfast without another word. Zym had fallen asleep again, and Rayla had to prod the princeling back to the world of the conscious.

She got up to find her chest guard, which had gotten buried by their packs and Callum's cloak. "Help me with this, will you?" He was somewhat reluctant to be touching at her, and was relieved once the side straps were secure.

"How's it feel?"

"Eh, it's a bit tight from the swellin', but it'll get better with time."

He nodded and turned to repack his belongings.

"Hey Callum?" Rayla voiced rather nervously, unsure about what she was going to ask. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She pursed her lips before speaking. "How come you have such a hard time helpin' me put my armor on, but you have no problem wrappin' your arms around me when we sleep?" He furrowed his brow and looked away. "I can't be held responsible for what I do in my sleep." It was meant to be of teasing nature, but came out more defensive and irritated.

He picked up his pack and slung it over his shoulder. "We heading out?" His voice still somewhat harsh. She nodded, feeling dejected. Callum squeezed through the crack that was the cave mouth, relieved to finally have some fresh air. The portion of the cave that they had used for their 'leavings' had begun to waft its smell towards them, and was getting to the point where it was unbearable.

Rayla had a bit more difficulty exiting their temporary hideout. As she pushed herself through the crack, a small rock jutting out from the cave mouth caught her side, causing her to yelp in pain. Callum turned and gave her a concerned look. "'M fine," she muttered, clutching her side. The boy didn't look satisfied, but didn't press her.

"Sorry I snapped at you. Being stuck in that cave for so long was kinda getting to me." He offered her an apologetic glance. "'T's alright." Was all the response he got, and he knew it was not alright.

"Are you okay?" His voice was full of concern. "Ribs are sore." Again, her response was short.

"There's obviously something going on in your head that doesn't involve your sore ribs." He hoped he had managed to keep the irritation out of his voice, and when she remained silent, he stopped her.

"Rayla, look at me." Suddenly the sky and the trees became the most interesting thing in the world as she averted his gaze. "Rayla," he urged. And when she finally met his gaze Callum could see the pain in her eyes. His brow unfurrowed slightly, his expression softening. "What's wrong?"

"I-I don't want to talk about it." When in fact she wanted to do just that. She wanted to get the newly discovered feelings off her chest, to throw them into the world, and hope Callum caught them and didn't let them crash to the ground. But the mission was too important to be distracted by romantic feelings. Although she didn't want to admit it, they were doing just that.

Callum wasn't satisfied with her answer, but before he could speak up, she interrupted. "We need to get movin'." He watched her go for a moment, thoughts bouncing around in his head. "What is with her today?" He shook it off and caught up with her.

They walked in an uncomfortable silence, much more uncomfortable than they ever were in the cave. Callum worried if they were going to be okay, if somehow their brief conversation earlier in the morning had somehow ruined their friendship. He remembered the fear he felt the moment he found Rayla pinned to the ground, although this wasn't quite the same. This time he felt like it was his fault. There had to be something he was missing.

Between thoughts and the changing scenery, the human prince found himself distracted. They were surrounded mostly by pine trees, but they weren't like anything he had ever seen. In Katolis, most pine trees grew straight up, with their branches growing perpendicular to the trunk. Here in Xadia, they were twisted and gnarled, almost like the desert trees he'd seen in books. Instead of the needles being green, these almost had an orangish hue to them, like a maple tree in autumn. It was quite the beautiful spectacle.

Also unlike the pine forests in Katolis, there was dense, seemingly jungle like underbrush, with leaves and petals varying across the spectrum. He also noticed that the late morning sky had a pink tinge to it, which completed the whole view. All of it radiating magic.

At his last observation, Callum remembered what Rayla had said back in the boat. "In Xadia, magic is pretty much in everythin'. It's no different from saying, 'everywhere you look, there's nature.' It's just part of the vibrance or spirit of thin's, you know?" Her voice narrated in his head. Things seemed so much simpler back then. He sighed, but perked up again. He had an idea.

"Hey Rayla?" He called out. She gave him a glare from over her shoulder, she hadn't noticed that he started lagging behind while he was admiring the scenery. "You were right. Magic is all around. It's beautiful."

Her mood seemed to lift as he started rambling on about the colors of the plants, and the sky, and the beautiful plumage of a woodpecker he saw. It almost made her forget about the anxiety she felt being around him. Almost. It welled up again as he caught her lingering stare, which she averted with a blush.

The atmosphere immediately plummeted again, and it hit Callum about as hard as that dragon's tail did Soren. He did this to her, and now he needed to fix it.

He reached forward and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She tensed up at this, but allowed him to turn her around. Callum's expression was full of worry. "Rayla, you need to tell me what's wrong so I can fix it."

The elf scowled. "Not now." She batted his hand off of her before turning and walking away. She hated herself for snapping at him like that. She sniffed and blinked back tears. "There's no way he'll ever like me if I keep treatin' him like this," she sighed. Zym made a noise of concern.

Callum watched her go for a moment before he remembered he was supposed to be following her. He didn't know what he was going to do. He felt like he ruined their friendship somehow, and he was angry that she wasn't letting him fix it. He shook his head. It was hard to give space to someone you were traveling with.

It seemed even the animals around them could sense the tension between the two, as they were oddly quiet for the mid afternoon. Rayla gestured for Callum to stop and stay put without a word, and she disappeared into the brush. He figured it was probably time to eat. He had been hungry for an hour or so.

Rayla returned a few moments later with several sunfruit, this time without her hands stuck full of barbs, much to Callum's relief. He didn't think he could withstand the scorn of another episode. The elf shoved a couple of the fruit into Callum's hands before offering two more to Zym, who happily accepted, if a bit weary of her abuse towards the human.

They didn't stop to eat like they usually did. Rayla was restless, and didn't want to offer Callum any opportunity to open his big dumb mouth, which he did anyway.

"Hey Rayla." He bit his cheek when she didn't turn around, but he knew she heard him. "Hey, umm, that guy who attacked you, he didn't look like any elf or human I've ever seen. What exactly was he?"

"Earthblood elf," she responded shortly. The cadence of her voice suggested she didn't wish to discuss him, or anything for that matter, any further.

Callum resigned to remain silent. He could tell he was losing her, and there was nothing he could do about it.


	5. Chapter 5: Inappropriate Suggestion

They had spent the majority of the rest of the day in silence, and upon settling down for camp, Rayla eased herself down opposite from Callum, still refusing to look at him aside from the occasional scowl. Callum had given up trying to talk to her. Any time he had so much as even breathed too heavily it was met with a steely glance from the elf.

It was dark, and Callum was tired. He settled himself up against a tree and wrapped himself up in his cloak. It was one of the colder nights they had experienced recently, and it had a greater effect now that they weren't huddled up together.

Rayla was shivering on the opposite side of the camp, and Callum had the brief inclination to offer his cloak, but that disappeared as she caught his stare. He realized he was quickly losing sympathy for her, as she showed no sign of letting up.

He watched Azymondias for a moment as he approached Rayla and curled up next to her. She leaned into him, stealing his warmth.

The prince resolved to close his eyes and hope for sleep. He fell into an uneasy rest, waking up often. At one point he opened his eyes and saw that Rayla was squirming uncomfortably, clutching her side. He felt a pang of guilt. It was evident that she was having as much trouble sleeping as him.

The boy sighed and closed his eyes again, and it was dawn the next time he opened them. It wasn't the cold that bothered him so much, he just felt alone. He was alone, and there was nothing he could do about it. Rayla wasn't talking to him, going back home wasn't an option - he wouldn't do it even if it were.

Callum spotted the elf a moment later. He assumed she went off to find breakfast for the two of them. "At least she's still doing that," he thought. It was comforting that even though she was mad at him, she wouldn't let him go hungry.

With a heave, he hoisted himself up to his feet and glanced at Rayla. He couldn't read her expression. That was a first. Callum realized how much he missed her snark and sarcasm, that stupid grin she wore proudly which annoyed him, but also found endearing. He missed his friend, even though she was at arm's reach.

Rayla gave him a handful of green berries which he looked at with a questioning gaze. He trusted her, so he ate them anyway, and found them to be incredibly tart. "They're moonberries, in case you're wonderin'. Couple days from ripe, but it was all I could find."

So she was initiating conversation now. That was a good sign. The prince simply shrugged. "I'm not complaining. I'm simply grateful you were able to find something."

Callum could have sworn he saw the corners of her mouth curl up into a hint of a smile, if only for the briefest of moments. It disappeared as she reached into her pack for her map.

"We're comin' up on a village here pretty soon, we should be there 'round noon if we leave in the next half hour," she said, not looking up from the paper.

"Well, we don't really have anything else to do this morning, save for waking Zym," he motioned towards the dragon who was sleeping in a position that look not only uncomfortable, but unnatural.

Rayla sighed. Or was than an attempt at a laugh? He couldn't tell. He was just glad they seemed to be on speaking terms again, even if it was only mission-relevant.

The rest of their morning had been uneventful, and they approached the town just as the sun reached its highest point. "Hood up, pinkos away," she instructed, and he obeyed, gently stuffing Zym in his pack and closing it before he slung it back over his shoulder.

"If anyone asks about the color of your skin, it's 'cause you're sick. Nothin' too bad, or contagious. You were dumb and ate somethin' you shouldn't'a." He nodded at her. It was something he would likely do, so her comment hadn't done too much damage.

He was reluctant to reprimand her anyway. Things were delicate, and the wrong word could have drastic consequences. He resolved to only speak when spoken to.

As they approached they reached the gate a guard halted them.

"You have reached the village of Loch Larden. State your names, tribes, and reason for visit."

"I am Larissa, and this is my companion Erdon. Both Moonshadow. We're only passin' through for a bed and some supplies," Rayla answered the guard without missing a beat. A scribe wrote them into his ledger and the soldier allowed them to pass with a nod. "There's an inn just north of the town square, and a general store a bit further up the same road," he said as they walked by.

She hadn't said anything about staying the night, only about gathering supplies. Callum frowned at this new piece of information. He supposed it was fortuitous that he snatched that sack of tradeables from that Earthblood elf. Rayla hadn't said much about the actual value of them, or what they were exactly. Just that it was a good find. He guessed that it could be some sort of elven currency.

"First thin's first, it's gonna be hard hidin' a human, so we're gonna find an inn and you're gonna stay put until I gather the supplies we need." She glanced over at him as he walked beside her. "You still have that list?" He nodded, and reached for his sketchbook. "Not out here," she hissed grabbing as his arm to put it away. "Inn first."

They followed a road that lead to the town square and turned northward as instructed. They reached a building with a runic symbol that Callum didn't recognize, but assumed it meant 'inn', or something of the like. He filed it as a question he would ask her later.

After entering the building they approached the barkeep, a stocky looking, early twenty's Earthblood elf, who greeted them with a kind smile and a small bob of the head. Callum thought the gesture looked rather funny and smiled in amusement. It disappeared as he looked over to Rayla, who didn't react.

"A room with two beds, please," she said as she proffered the assumed elven currency. The keep frown. "I'm sorry, all I can offer you for that much is one bed."

"I'll sleep on the floor," Callum whispered to her.

The male elf eyed Rayla for a moment. "You two aren't together, are you?" Rayla grew wide eyed and shook her head. "Well, in that case, there's, uhh, something else you could offer. Perhaps an evening on the town would interest you?" Rayla didn't understand what he meant and gave him a confused look. Meanwhile, Callum had no problem picking up on his implications. "What, are you asking her out on a date? I don't think she wants to do that with you." But the human was unsure, turning to her. "W-would you?"

She flushed. "I, uhh, no. I'm flattered, but no."

"That's a shame," the Earthblood elf frowned. "At any rate, I would like to offer dinner and breakfast, and I'll throw in some extra food for the road."

"We appreciate your hospitality," the prince said with slight edge to his voice.

Rayla had never seen Callum like this. She wasn't sure what was going through his head right now. Was he jealous? He seemed oddly defensive of her.

The pair allowed the elf to show them to their room. It was a cozy little room. A navy blue rug adorned with moon phase patterns sat in the middle of the room, just in front of a single full-sized bed with matching purple covers. A fireplace off to the right, and two doors to the left. One for the bathroom, and the other presumably a closet. There was a single window between the bed and a desk that sat in the corner.

"We'll be takin' our meals in our room." Rayla told the barkeep, who gave a small bow before turning back to his post.

"It was really creepy of him to ask you out. He seems like he's way older than us," Callum said after he was sure the other elf was out of earshot.

Rayla bristled. "Yeah. I don't get it. I don't look his age, do I? Weirdo. The only thing he's gonna get from me is a punch to the gut if he tries anything. I'm not even really sure we should stay the night."

Callum nodded. "If you don't feel like it, I'm totally okay with leaving."

"It's fine, I don't want to wreck our chance for a good night, especially with my ribs being what they are."

A worried look later, the prince sighed. "Okay."

He let Zym out of the bag he had been stowed away in earlier. Rayla simply watched the dragon as he stretched and began exploring his new environment.

"You know, he has a point about one thing, you are really pretty", the prince said, distracted by Zym.

Rayla couldn't quite figure out if she should frown or smile at this. It was a lovely shock to hear that he thought so, but came at the wrong time to be entirely positive. The encounter with the bartender still had her grossed out. At the same time, he probably meant well and his worry about her was really rather appreciated.

This was the first time anyone whose opinion she cared about had told her she was pretty. She reflected on this and her heart jumped a little. Coming from her crush, it meant a lot, actually.

"Rayla, are you alright?" Callum asked, noticing her silence.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit shocked, I guess. Thanks for stickin' up for me like that," she paused. "You think I'm pretty?"

He flushed. "Well, umm, yeah. I recall saying that the first time I met you."

Rayla's brow furrowed in question. "You did?"

"Yeah. You took down your hood, and I said something like, 'oh no, you're one of those with the pointy,' and you interrupted me, asking me if I didn't like your ears and I said I did, just not your pointy swords."

She pursed her lips. "That's not really the same thing."

"Sure it is. I complimented your appearance then, and I did again just now."

She'd have to give him that one. Damn him for being so thoughtful.

"You still have that list?" she asked him, and he quickly produced it and handed it to her. "Stay here. I'll be back in time for dinner."

She made her way into the lobby and shot the Earthblood elf a look before stepping outside. She had a few hours to kill, and allowed herself to admire the quaint little town. It wasn't much unlike her home, and also had very similar structures as the Moon Nexus. They domed buildings seemed sporadically placed, but also had a strange order to them, as if none of them were misplaced. The town square had a statue of an older looking Moonshadow elf, probably some wise leader from generations ago. The stone looked weathered and eroded.

Rayla wandered until she found the general store that guard had mentioned. She unfurled the list Callum gave her. There were four items on the list in his strangely neat, yet untidy artistic handwriting.

Sleeping bags

Bandages

Tent

Food

"Thanks, Callum," she muttered, shoving it back in her pocket, "super helpful."

They already had food out of the way, thanks to an inappropriate earth elf. Sleeping bags, bandages, and a tent. She hoped she had enough money to pay for all of it.

She stepped inside and was greeted by a Moonshadow elf probably twice her age. The two elves haggled for a little bit before they both agreed on a price, and Rayla was about to leave before a small scroll caught her eye. She unrolled it to discover that it wasn't just any scroll, but had a few spells on it. Sky Magic spells. Callum would love this.

"How much?" She asked, gesturing towards it.

The older elf frowned. "Probably a bit more than you could afford."

Rayla frowned. She felt bad for how things were between them right now, and she hoped the scroll could be a sort of peace offering. Not to mention Callum learning more magic meant he would be able to defend himself better. Right now he was useless in a fight.

"It's for someone special, isn't it?" She gave Rayla a knowing look while she blushed. "I was your age once. It's yours for half price." She flashed her a smile.

"You're sure?" She nodded, and the younger elf returned the smile.

It had hardly been two hours and she already collected everything they needed, plus a bonus. They had already planned on spending the night, so that left her with a lot of time to kill. She didn't want to return to the inn just yet, but she also didn't know what else to do.

She sat down on a bench in the town square and watched the other elves mill about. It was amusing coming up with little back stories about how they wound up here in this little town, though in reality she realized most of these people had likely lived here their whole lives, along with their parents and grandparents.

Elves had this annoying ability to settle down somewhere they didn't like, but refused to move because they were comfortable enough with the way things were, and were afraid to change. She wondered if humans were the same way. She chuckled at the idea, because they probably were. Callum always said how similar humans and elves actually were. There was only one real difference between the two. Elves had magic, humans did not.

Rayla decided to take a closer look at the scroll she got. Skimming across it she remembered why it was she became an assassin and not a mage. Magic was needlessly complicated, and she hardly understood anything that was written. Swords were easy, she had resolved then, and once again just now.

Once she had expended all of her distractions, she made her way back to the inn. The barkeep avoided her gaze and excused himself to the back. "Good, you creep," she thought.

She made it to their room door and made to open it, but thought better and knocked instead.

"Come in," Callum's voice was muffled through the door. He also had probably dozed off. She suspected he had gotten as little sleep as she did last night.

She opened the door and piled their new supplies with their bags in the corner.

"Did you find everything on the list?" He asked.

"Did you find everything on the list," she mocked. "Yeah, totally. Your list was super specific and helpful.

Callum wasn't sure if he should laugh or be offended. Her sarcastic berating was welcome at this point. It beat silence tenfold.

"Thanks. I try my best."

"Oh, also, I almost forgot. I uhh, got something for you," she pulled out the scroll. "I feel bad for the way I've been treatin' you, and I hope you'll accept this as my apology."

"Aww Rayla, thank you!" He hugged the elf, careful not to agitate her ribs, taking her by surprise. She gingerly returned the embrace. "But really, I feel like I'm the one who should apologize. I've kind of been a jerk," he said after he pulled away.

The prince turned sheepish after a moment. "I don't have a peace offering to give you."

"Nah, that's alright. I would've gotten you this whether you were mad at me or not."

"Oh, well I appreciate that. Though I was never mad at you, I was just worried that I had ruined our friendship."

Rayla frowned and looked away. "Yeah, me too."

"I'm definitely glad I didn't ruin it." He flashed her a smile, which she returned. Her gaze lasted just a moment too long.

"Hey, uh, do you think it's too early to get dinner?" Callum asked, changing the subject. "I don't know about you, but I did not sleep well last night. I'd kind of like to go to bed early tonight. I don't really care if it's still light out."

"Oh, no I totally agree. I slept like a baby last night, not the expression meanin' I slept well, like an actual baby. Wakin' up every five minutes or so."

Callum laughed until he started wheezing, while Rayla gave him a curious look. "I'm s...sorry...I haven't he...heard something that f-funny in days!"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm glad my misery amuses you."

"Oh, no it's nothing like that. Just the way you said it. It's so true!"

"Anyway, we should probably take a bath and wash our clothes. I doubt you've done that since we left Katolis."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm pretty dirty. Though you should go first, I want to take a look at this." Holding up the scroll. "Thank you again for it." He gave her a wide smile. She wanted to kiss him so badly right now, but that would definitely ruin the friendship that they had only just repaired.

Frowning, Rayla walked over to the closet to find several changes of linen pajamas. She grabbed a set and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She pulled off her armor and boots, and was left in her undershirt and leggings while she waited for the tub to fill up. She patiently hummed to herself until it finished. She was about to drop a sunstone into the water to heat it, but froze.

"Hey Callum, come here," she called out.

"Are you still dressed?" he responded.

"Yeah, I am. It's fine to come in." She couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness.

The respectful prince cracked open the door and poked his head in. "What's up?" She waved him inside.

"I wanted to show you this," she held up the sunstone. "It's enchanted with Sun Magic. It's how we heat bath water."

Callum perked up at the word 'magic'. "Predictable," she thought with a small chuckle. "Would you like to do the honors?"

"Would I!" She handed him the stone, and he admired its warmth in his hand for a moment before testing the cold water. "Do I just drop it it?" She nodded at him. He reached it over the bath and allowed it to slip from his fingers, watching excitedly as the water steamed at a low boil for a moment before reaching a comfortable temperature.

"It's perfect!" He could hardly contain his enthusiasm. Rayla chuckled at him. "I figured you'd enjoy that." Callum glanced over at the elf and gave her a look that she felt was nothing short of admiration. Her heart fluttered. She wanted to tell him how she felt. She needed to know how he felt, and she longed for the touch of his lips on hers.

"I'll, uhh, let you finish up in here, okay?" He interrupted her thoughts. Rayla flushed. "Thanks again for showing me this."

Callum turned and exited, closing the door behind him.

She slumped against the wall, sliding down into a sit. "I need to tell him how I feel." She sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head at herself. "I can't handle not knowin'."

The elf forced herself to stand up again and reached under her shirt to pull out the healing stone that was still wedged up in her under garments. She set it down on the sink. She then turned to the bandage on her right hand. She was surprised to find it was healing quite nicely, despite the fact that she hadn't been able to change the bandage.

After removing the rest of what she was wearing, she admired the large green and purple bruise on her side where her ribs were broken. Wincing at its tenderness while she tested it.

The elf turned and slide herself into the tub, welcoming the wet warmth it offered. Once in a comfortable position, her mind started churning. She couldn't help but be disappointed in herself. Part of her wished she had said something, or even reached out to kiss him. Maybe not on the lips, but the cheek at least. She hated not knowing, but was also terrified that he didn't feel the same way. The situation was impossible. For now, she simply let the confused, frustrated tears flow and wallowed in her own self pity.

Meanwhile, Callum was enamored with the gift she had gotten him. He read with purpose and interest. After he had soaked up all the information on it, he decided it would be best no to try the spells inside, else he might accidentally flood the place, or set something on fire.

Pluvium, a spell that would allow him to create rain wherever he needed. Something that he thought would likely be useful if they were trapped in a desert without water.

Pressulum, one that would allow him to run at a faster pace, in case he needed to escape.

Alatus, which would send him, or an object he was touching flying.

He practiced the runes in his sketchbook to get a feel for the motion. When he learned Aspiro and Fulminis he had the luxury of seeing the runes being written in the air. The scroll only allowed him diagrams of how they should be written.

After getting a good feel for them, he set his sketchbook down. His mind now void of distraction, he found himself reflecting on earlier events. He was still disgusted on the older elf's inappropriate suggestion. Callum wondered if he had even stopped to consider how old Rayla was, and not that she was just an attractive thing.

His anger intensified at that thought. That elf wanted to use her. "She's a person!" he grumbled. "Not something to be exchanged for something else."

He paused. "What if I were the one to ask her out?" The thought came out of nowhere. He didn't feel that way for her, did he? He wasn't jealous, was he? No. He couldn't. Feeling that way would change everything, and he can't afford to lose her. Not again.

The prince sighed and wondered how long Rayla was going to take in the bathroom. His smell was becoming evident to him after not bathing for three weeks.

As if on cue, the elf in question stepped out of the attached room, dressed in linen pajamas. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she didn't look at anything except the floor.

"Are you okay, Rayla?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," she deflected. "I just got a bit of soap in my eyes." Callum didn't seem satisfied with this answer, but didn't press her. If it was important, she'd tell him, right?

"The water's still plenty hot for you, and we can wash our clothes after."

"Right." The human followed her lead and grabbed a set of pajamas from the closet. Once he had closed the door, Rayla laid down on the nearest bed and curled up into a ball, trying to be as small as possible before realizing that hurt her side too much to bear. She struggled for a moment, but eventually found a position comfortable enough that her ribs didn't hurt as much.

She couldn't do it anymore. "Ergh, get ahold of yourself, Rayla!" She reprimand herself. "You're an assassin! You're a soldier! What would Runaan say if he found out you were gettin' all worked up over a stupid crush?"

She rolled onto her back and sighed. "But I'm also just a girl." Her eyes stung again, and she tried to blink it away, to no effect. She shut them, forcing two tears down her cheekbones.

A good half hour later, Callum exited the bathroom to find that Rayla had fallen asleep. He couldn't help but notice how peaceful she looked. It was something he rarely saw on her face anymore. He took a moment to admire her beauty in the moment. Yes, beauty. It's perfectly normal to think your best friend is beautiful, right?

It dawned on him what the implications of him saying she's pretty could have been. He was just trying to be friendly, and to cheer her up after what the barcreep had said. Was it thoughtless of him to pick up the offender's line of reasoning, no matter whether he felt it was true or not?

Coincidentally, the target of his renewing anger knocked on the door to deliver their hot meals. Callum accepted them with a look of scorn, reminding the Earthblood elf that he had not forgotten.

The prince set their food on the desk and sat on Rayla's bed to give her a gentle shake.

Rayla jumped, but Callum was quick to calm her. "It's just me. Food's here."

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Must've dozed off a bit."

He chuckled. "That you did. You feeling better?" He wore a concerned half smirk

"Oh, yeah. I really needed that hot bath, and that little nap." She smiled. "I'd show you the bruise, but it's, uhh, in a bit of a personal place. It's quite spectacular." Callum chuckled.

They quietly ate their food, sharing portions of it with the dragon who had been asleep until it had arrived. "That wee dragon's a dirty moocher," Rayla said. "Just imagine what his mother, and all the other elves would say if they heard us openly insult their heir," Callum cackled in response.

After they had finished eating, Callum made his way to the closet and found spare blankets that he could use to make a bed on the floor. He moved to the other side of Rayla's bed as to not get stepped on should she need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. After a few moments he sorted out his sleeping arrangements.

The pair bid each other goodnight, and the last thing Rayla could remember thinking was that maybe a good night's rest would help her get her thoughts and emotions in order.


	6. Chapter 6: Bedside Manner

Callum and Rayla were running. The hunter had caught up on their trail, and was now in pursuit. He moved with surprising speed and elegance for his size, and they were having a difficult time keeping out of range. Well, more so Callum did. Rayla would be able to elude him if she could hop through the trees. But she was stuck on the ground, dragging Callum along.

It had been a couple of days since they last saw him, and she wasn't at all surprised to see him again. It was a matter of time. She was afraid that he would actually kill them this time.

They sprinted through a ravine. How they got there she wasn't quite sure. Her lungs burned for air. Her legs ached, and she couldn't imagine her less fit human companion was faring any better. She dared not turn back to look even for a second. That could mean their lives.

She heard the heavy thump of the hunter behind them. Callum tripped and went down. She hurriedly turned around to help him up, but the hunter was on top of them. She readied her blades, expecting a fight for their lives.

Their pursuer didn't disappoint. He swung his blade at Rayla, which she easily sidestepped, but he caught her with a backhand that sent her reeling. She was quick to recover and dodged the next attack.

The hunter then turned to Callum, but Rayla intervened with a kick to the large elf's back, doing no damage. He swung his blade again, but the blow was unprepared and Rayla narrowly ducked under it, feeling the air off of it.

She was trying to tire him out, making him an easier opponent. This only seemed to make him more aggressive. "Exactly what I wanted," she thought.

It was Rayla's turn to attack. She paired her blades into a single strike, which the hunter wasn't prepared for. She made contact against his left shoulder, leaving two deep gashes. He growled at the pain, but ignored it to ready his counter attack.

He made for a stab at her, but she dove under it easily, slashing at the exposed part of his calf, leaving a long but shallow cut. Rayla made for him again, but he grabbed her left arm and in one swift motion he twisted it until he heard a snap and she dropped her blade. She screamed in pain, but didn't give up. She had fight in her yet.

She was fighting more defensively, now. Staying in front of him, not initiating combat. She was at a clear disadvantage. The hunter knew this. He became even more aggressive. One wrong move and she was dead, and she knew it.

He made for another backhand, and she dodged right into it, sending her to the ground, dazed. She felt herself being lifted up my her good arm. She struggled against him, to no avail.

The hunter squeezed her arm until he heard another snap, and she dropped her blade. He smiled. It was a disgusting expression.

Rayla saw Callum over the elf's shoulder. Why wasn't he doing anything? Why wasn't he trying to save her? All he did was stare.

She opened her mouth to call for him, and the hunter responded by bringing his blade across her throat. "Not today," he gloated as her blood sprayed over his face. She gasped for air, but only found the sickly fluid that entered her lungs. She attempted to cough, making more of a gurgling noise.

Why wasn't she dead yet?

The answer came when she jolted awake, drenched in sweat. She clutched her side, which ached from her heavy breathing. She tried to slow her breathing to reduce the pain in her ribs.

Her eyes focused in the darkness. She was still at the inn.

"Rayla?" She realized she had woken up the prince. "Are you alright?"

She could tell he was looking at her, but she stared at the wall opposite of them. An expression of fear written across her face.

"Rayla?" He called again after a moment of her not responding. "Are you okay? You're breathing kind of...heavily."

She briefly considered telling him the truth, but she was afraid he would try to coddle her. But there was a small part of her that wanted him to. She longed to feel loved and protected, amongst other emotions that seemed so foreign to her now.

She resolved to tell him the truth and recounted the events of her dream, but left out the detail where he didn't do anything to stop the hunter.

Callum got up and moved to the bathroom. He returned with a glass of water and handed it to her, which she gracefully accepted. True to her fear, the prince then got into bed next to her and hugged her. Normally the gesture would bring her comfort, this time it did the opposite. But she didn't have the heart to tell him, so she let it happen

Now was as good of a time as ever, she thought. Rayla tried to speak, instead she started sobbing. Callum rubbed her back to soothe her, letting her cry. She buried her face in his chest. The soft linen of his pajamas was welcoming.

After a few minutes she regained her composure enough to speak.

"C-Callum," her voice shook as she leaned back. "C-Callum, I...I-"

"Shhh, it's okay," he interrupted. "I know you're afraid. It's okay."

Tears found their way out again. She felt so hopeless and alone, even though the boy she was in love with held her in his arms.

Rayla cried until tears wouldn't come out anymore, and she just sat there heaving. After a few more minutes Callum eased the empty glass that she had been clutching out of her hands to refill it and brought back a rag for her to blow her nose in.

She attempted to say, "thank you," but her mouth wouldn't cooperate with her, so it came out more as a moan. Somehow the prince had been able to comprehend the meaning and said, "anything for you."

The words were meant to soothe and encourage, but instead they stung. "Then why didn't you let me confess?" She wanted to scream, but no sound came out. She hated feeling like this.

"Everything's going to be fine, Rayla." He smiled at her.

She scoffed, causing Callum to frown, but she didn't press her. She had told him enough for tonight. "Do you want me to stay with you?" He asked softly. She shook her head. She didn't see him frown, but she could feel it as he released her. Rayla immediately realized how much his touched had comforted her, and missed it as soon as it was gone.

"Wait," she halted him as he was walking to his makeshift bed. His expression was incredulous. "I, uh, wouldn't mind if you stayed with me. Might help me sleep better."

Callum could feel the nervousness in her voice and gave her a broad smile in response. "Sure."

He laid down beside her and she shifted, pressing her body into him. Callum draped his left arm around her waist. It was a different feeling than when she laid on Callum in the cave. There she had enjoyed the closeness of the moment, but it had been more for the fact that her ribs were broken. But here she needed to be soothed and comforted. She needed to feel like she was being protected.

It was uncomfortable for her at first. She almost felt more vulnerable than she even had before, and vulnerability wasn't exactly encouraged in Moonshadow elven culture, even amongst close friends and family.

But there was the smallest part of her being, buried deep within the repressed emotions from her childhood, that felt something. She felt safe.

She pressed her head into his hand, as Callum pet her hair until she fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7: A Near Miss

Rayla awoke laying on her back with her head turned towards Callum. He had one arm under the base of her neck while the other was draped across her stomach. Her heart skipped a beat when she opened her eyes to find that their noses were almost touching.

His breath was soft on her lips and smelled of spearmint. She so desperately wanted to close the distance, but knew that it wouldn't feel right. She needed him to be conscious of mind, body, and heart.

The elf ached for him with all of her being. "I love you, Callum," she whispered to his still sleeping form. There was a small part of her that was grateful that he couldn't hear her, but the greater part of her wanted to get this confession over with.

It would hurt if it ruined their friendship, but it hurts more holding it in, and there was also still the potential for more.

She scoffed at herself and carefully brushed his arm off her stomach and sat up as to not wake him. "What would a human want with an elf?" The bitter thought sprang into her mind. But Callum was different. He never seemed to mind the fact that she was an elf, and treated her like anyone else.

A human-elf relationship would never work in this world. But isn't that exactly what they were trying to change? Weren't they trying to prove that they all could work together, and could stop killing each other all the time?

Sighing, she looked over at the prince. He had tucked his hands under his cheek and wore a goofy smile. The adorable dummy was probably dreaming.

Something told her just by looking at him that everything was going to be okay. The oblivious human never seemed to worry about anything - except her. Maybe there was something there. The anxiety that had welled up in her stomach began to dissipate.

Rayla got out of bed and stretched as much as her ribs would allow, which wasn't very much. The left side of her chest and back, as well as her shoulder had gotten uncomfortably stiff over the past few days, and it was driving her crazy that there wasn't anything she could do about it.

She couldn't remember seeing Zym since dinner last night and searched the room for him. She chuckled lightly when she found him sleeping in Callum's makeshift bed. "Well, at least someone's gettin' use out of it."

Callum stirred and muttered, "more moonberry juice, please," before resuming his snoring. Rayla sniggered. He was definitely dreaming.

She peered wistfully out the window, leaning against the sill. The sun barely revealing itself above the treetops. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the sunrise unfold. "Everythin's goin' to be okay," she thought before turning back to Callum.

Rayla sat down on the edge of the bed to wait for him to wake up. She knew it wouldn't be for another hour or two, but she was fine with waiting. Although, part of her was tempted to curl up next to him and fall asleep again, but she shook that temptation off. She needed to be awake for what she intended to do.

"Rayla?" Callum mumbled as he sat up and stretched after some time.

"Mornin', sleepy head," she shot him a smirk.

"Were you waiting for me to wake up?"

"I, uhh, yeah," she paused to take a deep breath. "Callum, there's somethin' I-"

She was interrupted by a knock at the door. She rolled her eyes and went to answer it, and was further agitated to find the barkeep on the other side. The only redeeming factor of his presence was that he brought breakfast.

"I hope I didn't come at a bad time-"

"You did," Rayla cut him off, causing him to frown. She snatched the meal away from him and closed the door with her heel without another word.

"Oh good, food's here." Zym perked up at the prince's words. "Was there something you were going to say, Rayla?"

She wasn't anticipating the interruption, and it totally put her off. "I, uhh, no. It was nothing."

Callum frowned, not convinced. "You're sure?"

"Yup, now let's get to eatin', I'm starvin'," she said with an obviously fake chipper attitude.

Callum was starting to become convinced that he was going to have to push her a little bit more to get her talking, but he was also worried that if he pushed too hard it would have consequences. He knew the tone in her voice, the nervousness, the shakiness similar to when she had fought herself to tell him about his father. It was something important, he could tell.

Even now while they were eating she wasn't talking much, and was avoiding eye contact. She was obviously disgruntled by having to answer the door.

"Was that creep at the door again?" He asked, and she simply nodded in response. "Did he say anything?"

"He asked if it was a bad time. I told him it was."

The prince frowned. She was being short again. He did not want a repeat of the past two days. They had enough problems with that massive Earthblood elf after them.

"Is everything alright?"

She looked up at him and considered telling him the truth, but she knew it wouldn't come out right and she didn't want to risk misspeaking. She resolved to tell him a half truth.

"I'm just worried about that hunter guy. It's been a few days since we've seen him, and I'm worried he's going to sneak up on us."

"Is it because of your dream?"

Rayla froze. She hadn't told him the real reason why that dream had her so distraught. It was because she watched as Callum did nothing to try to save her.

"I, uhh, yeah. It's because of that."

"It's okay, Rayla, I won't ever let that happen to you."

"But you did," she thought. "Even if it wasn't real. It felt real."

There was another knock at the door. Rayla scoffed and got up to answer the it again. It was the elf again.

"Sorry, this will be the last time I'm going to bother you. I came to drop off the rest of the food I promised." He proffered a small bag.

Rayla's mouth curled into a slight frown and forced out a thank you before shutting the door again. She sighed loudly as she turned back to Callum.

"It'll be too soon when I never have to see him again."

"You said it."

She gave him a confused look. "Yeah, I know I said it, there's no need to tell me somethin' I already know." She had a slight bit more of an edge to her voice than she meant.

"Sorry, it's a, uhh, human expression. It's supposed to mean that I agree with you."

Now she just felt dumb. It seemed a bit obvious that that's what he meant, but she shook it off and turned to tease the boy again. "You humans sure do have a lot of weird and oddly redundant phrases," she said with a smirk.

"Ha! You don't even know the half of it."

"See? There's another one! Any more in there?" She eyed him with bemused curiosity.

"Maybe later, I'm hungry."

The prince was right. They would have plenty of time on the road later. They needed to get moving as soon as possible. Rayla was still weary of the massive Earthblood elf who was after them. She knew he wasn't far off from their trail by now.

She sighed and turned back to her breakfast. She, too, was hungry.

Neither of them seemed inclined to talk about sharing the bed last night. Rayla thought it was probably just as significant in human culture as it was in elven culture. Sleeping on him in the cave was different. There she was leaning on him for physical support due to her injury, here? It was emotional. They both were aware of that.

While vulnerability was frowned upon in her culture, physical closeness was readily encouraged. But that was reserved for individuals who were romantically involved with each other. Usually you would only share a bed after you had consummated.

Still somewhat lost in thought, the elf watched as Callum tossed bits of food for Zym to catch midair. She found it rather amusing to watch. More than once the dragon had totally misjudged his trajectory and bashed himself into various pieces of furniture in the room. Each time this happened the pair couldn't help but laugh at his misfortune.

Once they had finished their meal, Rayla went about making sure they had all of their supplies in order. She then divided the load between the two of them. She would carry her pack, sleeping bag, and the tent, while Callum would carry his pack and sleeping back, as well as the food. He would also be carrying Zym while they were in town.

Rayla was tempted to make a mess of the room before they left, knowing that the Earthblood elf who offended her would have to clean up after them, but Callum talked her out of it. He was right, of course. They couldn't afford the time and it wouldn't do to be spiteful, even if she felt the other party deserved it.

They made their way through the lobby and were at the door before Callum stopped.

"I'll just be a minute," he told Rayla, who gave him an impatient glare.

He made his way back to the bar where the barkeep was trying to pretend he didn't see them. It took a moment for Callum to get his attention, but when he did his voice was cold and firm.

"Do me a favor," his eyes steeled with rage. "Never, and I mean never, speak to another woman like that again. Never suggest to use her like currency. It is vile, and despicable, and you disgust me. Have a good day."

He turned and walked away without waiting for a response. Rejoining Rayla, they stepped outside and disappeared into the crowd.

Moments later, a massive form entered the inn that the had just left. He was battered, and his clothes were stained with blood. Obviously he hadn't faired too well since his fight with Rayla.

His sudden appearance startled the barkeep.

"Bjorn! I wasn't expecting you back so soon. How goes your hunt? Not so well, judging by your umm…" he shut his mouth, remembering who he was talking to.

"Little shits got away. And they stole my stuff." The hunter sat down heavily at the bar where a drink was already waiting. He took a sip from it.

"Who are you after this time?" The smaller elf asked.

"A traitor and a human."

"A human in Xadia?" He seemed shocked.

"Why the tone of surprise, Tobias? Humans sneak in all the time. You just don't hear about it 'cause I usually kill them."

"But not all of them, obviously."

Bjorn glared at him before taking another sip. "No. Obviously not."

"You wouldn't happen to have seen two teenagers through here, have you? The traitor is a Moonshadow elf."

"This is a Moonshadow village, you're going to have to be a bit more specific than that."

The hunter raised his hand a distance from the floor. "'Bout this tall, violet eyes, thick Sconi accent, triangular shaped markin's under her eyes. Broke few o' her ribs."

"That, uhh, sounds strikingly similar to a patron I had last night. She was with a rather pale looking elf who kept his hood up."

"Gods, Tobias, ye really are fuckin' stupid, aren't ye? When did they leave?"

"Umm, no more than two minutes before you entered."

"WHAT!?" Bjorn bellowed, smashing his glass. "Which way did they go?"

"South, towards the square."

The hunter grumbled and got up. He made his way out into the the street and turned south. It was soon evident that he wouldn't be able to spot them in the crowds outside. He would have to resolve to pick up their trail once he made it out of the village. He didn't know exactly where they were going, but he knew they were heading east.


	8. Chapter 8: Abandonment

It had been three times now that Rayla had almost confessed, three times that she had been interrupted. It was driving her crazy. She just wanted to tell Callum how she felt, but it seemed that the world just wanted her to suffer. As if she hadn't suffered enough before she developed this hopeless crush.

The shame that now rested on her shoulders since her parents' disappearance. Some elves from her small Sconi village had grown to call her 'Daughter of Disgrace', as to bash not only her, but her parents as well. So little good came from her relationship with them, or lack thereof.

There was also the guilt of Runaan's unknown fate. He had always been there for her when her parents were off doing their duty as Dragon Guard. Neglecting their duty was more like it. The thought was bitter, but honest.

Rayla came to realize that there was little she didn't blame her parents for. It seemed now that they were her version of humans, now that she had befriended one and fallen in love with another.

Elves blamed humans for every little thing that went wrong in their lives. Their crops were dry, those damn humans. It was too humid, or too sunny, those damn humans. As if they had any control over that whatsoever. It made her realize how ignorant her kind really was.

She sighed. That was enough bitter thinking for today. She glanced over to her human companion, who was obliviously studying the scenery. The elf smiled at him. Even by doing nothing he always found a way to make her do that.

Her knuckles brushed his, causing her to blush. She sighed again at the temptation to grab hold of his hand, to interlock her four fingers with his five. She wondered if it would feel awkward due to the imbalance. An experiment for later, hopefully.

They left Loch Larden a few hours ago, and Callum seemed like he was already eager to stop for lunch soon, even after the hearty breakfast they had. "Pampered human prince," she thought snarkily.

Meanwhile, Callum couldn't help but wonder what Rayla wanted to say this morning. It seemed like it was something very important to her, and that it was difficult to get out. He understood why the interruption from the Earthblood elven barkeep put her off from saying what it was.

The prince had his fair share of these moments when he tried to talk to Claudia about how he felt, though he didn't think that was an accurate comparison. Rayla wasn't about to confess her love for him, was she?

He looked over to the elf in question, who was walking beside him through the forest a few miles outside the small village. Part of him wouldn't mind if someone pretty like her had feelings for him.

His cheeks warmed at this thought, and he looked away from her, trying to shake it off. It was thoughts like those that threatened to put a strain on their friendship, and he couldn't afford that. Not this early on in the journey. He had no idea how long they still had. Granted, he hadn't asked, either.

But was there something more to the way they held each other? Was it more than for physical support, for warmth, or comfort after a nightmare? The thought that maybe there was something there breached his mind. To try to distract himself from it, he decided to initiate some light conversation.

"Hey Rayla?"

She turned towards him with an eyebrow raised in question.

"How long exactly will it take for us to reach the Dragon Queen?"

She pursed her lips in consideration. "Couple months, probably. If we don't get sidetracked too much."

An awkward silence fell between the two.

"So..." Callum started after a moment.

"So I suppose once we return the wee dragon to his mother, that'll be the end of us, won't it?"

Callum stopped short to take in her words. Rayla walked a few paces on before noticing his absence. She turned around but didn't look directly at him. There was a pained expression on her face.

The prince closed the distance, placing a hand on her shoulder while using the other to lift her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Far from it," he said before pulling her into a hug, careful to not agitate her still sore ribs.

He noticed a wetness that gathered on his shoulder as Rayla began to sob in his embrace.

"Why are you so worried that I'll leave you once this is done?" Callum asked as he began to stroke her back, trying to soothe her.

Rayla knew she had a confession to make, but now wasn't the time for her to confess her feelings. This was something that had been upsetting her for a lot longer than she had known Callum, and she was terrified that it would continue to do so. And even more afraid that the prince she had come to adore would only add to it.

She was bawling at this point. A lifetime of emotion finally making its escape. So much hurt, and anger, and guilt cascaded through her tear ducts, warping her voice into a raspy, stuttering mess.

"E-everyone I've...e-ever cared about h-has left me, o-or g-gotten killed." She buried her face into his shoulder. "My own p-parents didn't e-even want me! A-and now I've probably gotten R-Runaan killed."

"It's all my fault, Callum," she continued to bawl. "If I had been a better daughter, maybe they would have wanted me. And if I had been a better assassin, Runaan would still be alive."

"No, Rayla. It's not your fault," his voice was low and comforting. "You shouldn't have to earn your parents approval, or their love. All of that should be unconditional, no matter the accident of your birth. As for Runaan, you tried to stop him, but he was too stubborn. I know it's awful to say this, but his fate was his own fault."

There was a long pause that was only broken by Rayla's sobs before Callum spoke again.

"As for me, because I'm sure you're wondering, I'm never going to leave you. That's a promise."

She continued to cry for the next few minutes before she finally pulled away. She wiped her eyes, causing black smudges across her cheeks. Callum hadn't noticed this before, but decided better than to say something about it. She had enough to worry about.

Rayla looked down at her hands and noticed the color of her fingertips and scoffed at herself. "I shoulda just skipped puttin' makeup on today. I figured I'd probably be cryin' today, stupid me."

"Hey, hey, you're not stupid," he paused for a moment before he decided to hug her again. "I'm sorry you've been crying so much recently. You're too sweet and kind to deserve everything that's happened to you, and if I could, I would fix everything for you."

The prince pulled back and gave her a comforting smile. Rayla almost blurted it out right then and there, 'IloveyouCallum', but she didn't. She would probably kick herself later for it. He was too good to her, and she was hiding the truth, again.

Callum suggested they go find somewhere where she could wash up, and she told him that there's a river less than an hour's walk south of them that fed into Loch Larden's lake, of the same name.

* * *

The hunter was angry. He had hoped to have a hot meal and a bath to help ease his wounds, but he couldn't afford the time. He was too close to his targets' trail.

They had been oddly elusive for an adolescent Moonshadow elf assassin, and a clumsy, stupid meat bag of a human companion. He didn't understand the appeal to traveling with one. All they did was slow you down by getting hurt, or sick, or lost.

Bjorn knew this from experience. There were a handful of occasions where he had to work with another human bounty hunter, seeking a common enemy. The majority of those instances he ended up collecting the entire bounty himself.

He recalled one such event where the human he was working with attempted to double cross him so she could keep the full reward. In the end, she lost more than she could've ever hoped to gain.

The hunter let out a cynical chuckle as he recalled the satisfying resistance of her neck on his blade as he relieved her of her head. She put up little fight, and he found it pitiful.

Shifting his thoughts back to the present, he decided the best place to start would be by following the river slightly south of town.


	9. Chapter 9: Tattoos

When Rayla reached the river she informed her companion that the water was moving much too fast for it to be useful, and resolved to follow in upriver where she hoped it would be calmer. What she didn't mention was that the strong current also put her on edge, bringing back bad memories of an event years ago.

About five minutes into their walk Callum noticed a strange looking tree, and upon further inspection he realized that it had been struck by lightning. It was charred and missing nearly all of its bark. He committed the sight to memory. It would be something interesting to draw later, he decided.

After another hour of walking they reached a wider portion of the river with calmer waters that gave a mirror like reflection in the clear water.

Callum watched with curiosity as Rayla knelt on the bank and bent forward to wash her face. He almost expected her markings to be removed, but once she finished and turned to him he realized they were still there. All that had been removed was the black lines and streaks around her eyes.

The elf looked up at him and noticed his expression. "You have the 'dumb question' look written all over your face."

"Oh, do I? Sorry." He frowned.

"Heh, nah, you can say 'sorry' after you ask. What's your question?"

"I was just wondering, about your markings.

"What about them?"

"They obviously aren't makeup, otherwise you would've washed them off..."

"Keen eyes, there."

"...so what exactly are they? Are they tattoos, and what do they mean?"

"Well, facial markin's like these," she pointed at her cheeks, "are ones you're born with. They're sorta like a family name, I guess, but not really at the same time."

"That's kind of cool. Like stylish birthmarks. What do they mean?"

"Mine mean 'mark of the brave'. My mother has similar ones, which is a bit ironic, now that I think about it." She shook her head at that thought. "Let's not go down that road right now." She paused, thinking how to continue. "Everythin' else is tattooed. You remember Runaan's arms?" Callum vaguely remembered the intricate pattern, but couldn't recall the exact details. It was dark when he saw them. "Well, those tattoos signify that he's a leader, and they get more intricate the higher the rank."

"You can get tattoos for pretty much anythin', but my people mostly reserve that for significant life events or accomplishments. Runaan also has a tattoo over his heart, which means that he's involved with someone."

Callum soaked in all this new information. "Wow. That's really cool. Humans don't do anything like that." He paused. "You wouldn't happen to have any tattoos like that, would you? I mean, obviously you don't have any on your arms, but, uhh, what about the other kind?"

"What? No. Women don't get those. Besides, I'm not involved with anyone like that." She looked away from him, hoping he didn't notice her pained expression.

"Oh, why not?" The prince seemed relieved at the revelation that she wasn't seeing anyone.

Rayla's voice caught in her throat. That was a direct question that would lead to her confessing her feelings. She wasn't ready for that, not right now at least. It didn't feel right to her.

Callum's face reddened at her silence and clarified his question. "I-I mean, why don't Moonshadow women get those tattoos?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, she answered him. "Oh, well, it's cause women have breasts. It's kind of taboo to show your chest anyone you're not involved with, let alone to get tattoos there."

She turned back to her reflection. "Well, at least most women do," she thought. Rayla couldn't help but be jealous for Claudia's more defined figure. Of course Callum still liked Claudia, and didn't like her at all. At least not in that way. The human mage was way prettier than she was. She shook her head at herself. When did she become the jealous type?

"Hey, uhh, Rayla?" Callum wasn't sure what the next words to come out of his mouth would be. Part of him wanted to ask her how she felt about him, whether they were just friends, or could be something more.

"Yes, Callum?"

But ultimately he couldn't do it. He feared rejection too much. What would she want to do with him, anyway? Someone as pretty, kind, and charming could probably find someone way better than him. Someone who could fight, or hunt, or forage for their own food. He felt like a burden on her. Who would want to be with anyone who does nothing but drain you?

Callum was too afraid to ask Rayla about her feelings, so he resolved to ask her something else that had been on his mind since earlier this morning. "Oh, I, uhh, I was just wondering about when you started wearing makeup."

"Oh," she paused to think for a moment. It wasn't the question she had hoped he would ask. "A couple years ago? I guess. I never really kept track."

"Would it be alright for me to say that you look pretty wearing it?" he asked before hastily adding, "I mean, you look pretty without it, too. It's just different with it? I don't know what I'm saying."

"I mean, you can say that. Doesn't mean it's true," she huffed.

"Don't be ridiculous, Rayla. Human or elf, I still think you are very pretty." Callum held a dumb, triumphant smile on his face, which Rayla only caught a glimpse of before turning away to hide her blush.

"If you say so." She couldn't help but let the corners of her mouth curl up into a small smile.

A strange silence fell between the two. It wasn't entirely comfortable or uncomfortable. Rayla was trying to work up the nerve to confess her feelings, her confidence boosted by Callum's compliment. She just needed to find the right wording to do so.

Her mind unable to come up with something, she blurted out, "Callum, do you trust me?" surprising both of them.

Callum gave her an unsure look before responding. "Of course I do. What makes you think I wouldn't?"

"Well, it's just," she paused, trying to think how to word what she wanted to say. She sighed, "it's just, at the Moon Nexus when I was tryin' to convince you that your friends were up to somethin' and we shouldn't trust them. You told me that 'we don't have that yet', when you were talkin' about how you and Claudia were friends for years. That hurt." She sniffed as she began to tear up a little.

"Rayla, I'm sorry," he said as he pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry I hurt you." Callum took a deep breath before continuing, "but I was right. We'll never have what Claudia and I had-"

The elf interrupted him by pushing him away, "oh, thanks. That's so reassurin'."

"Rayla, you didn't let me finish. What I was going to say is that we have something completely different, something better than what she and I had."

She soaked in his words, weighing how she should respond.

"Well, if that's how you feel about me, then there's somethin' I need to tell you." She inhaled deeply, and Callum looked at her with a questioning look. "Aloyu." The words were quick and unintelligible.

Callum paused, furrowing his brow, and attempted to comprehend what she just said, unsuccessful. "Sorry, could you, uhh, repeat that?"

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and spoke slower than the first time. "Callum, I love you."

Realization spread into his mind. "Oh," he said simply, with a hint of something she thought might be disappointed.

She scoffed at herself. "I knew I was a fool to think you felt the same way."

She turned away from him as tears began to fill her eyes for the second time today. Callum looked like he was about to say something when Rayla caught a glimpse of something in her blurry vision.

She blinked into focus and grew wide eyed, her heart filled with fear and dread at the massive form. She uttered a single word.

"Run."


	10. Chapter 10: Callum

"Callum, you need to take Zym and run." The vulnerability from moments before was replaced by a steely determination as the elf readied her blades. But the prince stood there, trying to make sense of what she said earlier while simultaneously attempting to formulate an argument against leaving her. Rayla noticed his hesitation. "I'll hold him off," she barked.

"Bu-"

"GO!"

He unceremoniously stuffed the dragon into his pack and drew a well practiced, yet unfamiliar rune. "Pressulum."

Rayla vanished from his view as the world became a blur. His body moved faster than he thought possible. Normally he would have found it difficult to navigate the tangled undergrowth of the forest at a speed any greater than a slow jog, but the spell seemed to have enhanced his reflexes as well. He twisted and contorted to dodge passed branches and bushes.

His mind had a hard time catching up, but when it did, he stopped. Callum didn't know why he did it, just that he did. He was a total idiot for listening to her. He ran, like she said to, and regretted it immediately. He turned around to look back where he came from. He didn't recognize a thing. The river was gone, and so was any trace of his friend. How long had he been running?

There were so many emotions swirling through his head. She told him that she loved him, and he just stood there like an idiot. He left her. He left her to fight someone who almost killed her the first time. He left her to die.

He should have argued with her, he should have stayed. Now she was probably dead, and it was his fault. He abandoned her, even after he promised not to.

She had to be alive. She loved him, right? He might not feel the same way, exactly, but if she was dead he won't be able to learn to do so. He should have said something. Maybe then she would have wanted him to stay. But now the human prince was left wandering around the unfamiliar Xadian forest with only Zym to keep him company.

He was still trudging through the forest, lost, when the sun began to set. They had hardly been separated a few hours and he already missed her so much it ached.

"You stupid, stupid dumb human!" Callum shouted at the top of his lungs. He didn't care if the hunter heard him and would find him and kill him. He didn't want to live without Rayla.

He sat down miserably, dropping his bag in the process. Zym spilled out of it, as well as a few other things. Callum didn't care. He didn't care about anything anymore. He knew he was doomed without Rayla. The boy would never be able to survive in the forests of Katolis on his own, let alone this one in Xadia.

He screamed again in a fit of rage as he began pounding the ground with his fists. Callum pounded until he devolved into tears of anger and frustration. His arms grew weak and tired, and at the last blow to the ground he rolled into a heap on his side and continued to sob.

Zym cowered away from him at first, unsure how to react, but once Callum had physically calmed, the princeling approached him. Apprehensive at first, but when the boy showed no sign of harmful movement he curled up next to him, in attempt to comfort.

Callum wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but it was dark when he woke up. He had a sense that he was being watch. He sat up slowly, as to not provoke any attack. He drew a rune to illuminate the night. Hearing a low growl he turned towards the noise and spotted a pair of yellow eyes. Instinct kicked in. He directed his palm, shouting, "fulminus."

The air rippled with lightning, and he heard the crack of its impacted several meters away. There was a yelp, and the creature scurried away. Callum was left to assume that nothing else was going to try to attack him after that.

After the adrenaline wore away, sleep claimed him once again. The sprinting spell combined with his emotional outburst took a toll on him.

The sun hung high in the sky when Callum was awakened by the pit in his stomach. He rifled through his pack for his food reserves. Upon finding them, he pulled out a cinnamon roll that he ripped in half, keeping one and tossing the other to his dragon companion.

He let out a disappointed whimper.

"Sorry, buddy. We're gonna have to spare this stuff until we can find Rayla again. I don't want to risk eating something I'm unfamiliar with and get us sick."

Talking made him realize how dry his throat was from crying last night. He took a swig from his canteen to moisten his mouth before eating, and took another after he had finished his meager breakfast.

Callum noticed a charred tree that was missing some of its bark. That must've been where he shot at last night. He sighed. He knew he was only delaying the inevitable. He was going to die without Rayla. It was just a matter of time.

His only hope was to find her, and to do so he would need to figure out what direction she would be in. The sun gave no clue to him, so he resolved to wait.

He recalled that the river flowed north-west to Loch Larden, and they had been following it upriver. He stood with it at a 45 degree angle from him before he ran away, so he resolved that he had traveled more or less due east. That was simple, all he had to do was travel west to retrace his steps.

Callum wasn't going to risk using the spell again. It drained him too much, and he feared he might overshoot his target. He had no idea how far he had traveled, so he didn't know how long it would take him to get back.

To pass the time until the sun lowered, he pulled out his sketchbook. He felt a pang of guilt as he opened it up to a picture of Rayla. It was a drawing from when they were in the cave together, hiding from the hunter. She sat with her legs tucked up underneath her, with Zym's head in her lap as she pet him. She had a sleepy expression on her face.

Callum recalled the thought that went through his mind at that moment. He thought that he would never see that expression on her face again, since she usually woke up before him. What he didn't think was that he was never going to see her again, period.

He shook it off. It had been less that a day since their separation, it was too early to give in to despair.

He flipped back to earlier pages. Skimming through drawings of Ezran and Claudia, as well as landscapes from the towers of Katolis. He missed his brother and his oldest friend. He hoped they were okay. Well, more so Ezran than Claudia. She had betrayed them after all, and he was still very much bitter about that.

Enough time wasted he thought. Looking up he realized the sun began to dip to his left. That was the direction he needed to go. He stood up and gathered his things, and Zym, before he set off.

He knew he wasn't going to make much progress today, since he slept so late. He would have to make camp again in a few hours. "But progress is progress," he said out loud, forcing optimism.

Later, he made camp in a small clearing. The sun hung low in the sky, painting the sky in its usual brilliant oranges and reds, but the thought of the color red brought the image of Rayla's blood being spilled on the ground. She bled because he abandoned her.

He recalled thinking only a week ago that he needed to protect her, that she needed him just as much as he needed her. Some friend he was. She would die for him, and for what? So he could die just a little bit later? He would never be able to complete this mission by himself. He didn't know where he was going.

He found himself drifting off into an uneasy slumber. He woke up what felt like every few minutes. At one point he looked up to realize that the moon was full tonight. He met Rayla a month ago. A month they had been friends, and he had already gotten her killed.

His thoughts shifted to his brother. It was two weeks ago since he left them to return to Katolis. He was king by now, and he likely already had his official portrait done. It would be done without Callum in it. He didn't deserve to be in it, either. He knew he would just end up abandoning him when his brother needed him most.

A dreamless sleep finally laid hold on the boy. It was sunrise again before he knew it. He repeated the same process as he did yesterday. He pulled out a small amount of food from his bag, split it in half, and gave it to Zym.

His life was a pattern anymore, and there was nothing to break that cycle.


	11. Chapter 11: Return

"Do I love her?" Callum asked himself.

No, he couldn't. He was a human prince. He'd be married off to some noble. He wasn't meant to marry for love. Besides, that is not how he felt about her, even if she felt that way about him.

Humans and elves could never mix that way, anyway. It was forbidden on both sides. Maybe it was enough for some to be put to death, others would be outcast and condemned.

They would never reach the point of peace. Rayla was probably dead, anyway, and Callum couldn't do this alone. He would die soon, too. And so would Zym. They would die, and the world would go to war. They would go to war and everyone would die.

Callum sighed as he pulled out the last of his food. He suspected the dragon had been sneaking into it while he was asleep. Oh well. There was nothing he could do about it anyway. No need to do anything about it.

The prince recalled his astonishment at the sights, smells, and sounds of Xadia when he was with Rayla. Now he knew they would eventually be his doom.

"Enough of that," he reprimanded himself. "Rayla's still alive. She has to be. She's still alive, and I have to find her."

He had to find her and wrap his useless arms around her. He needed to ask for her forgiveness for leaving her. He needed to cry into her shoulder. But he knew he didn't deserve any of that.

He had been a horrible friend to her. How did he not notice that she loved him? She was probably crying over him because she knew he didn't feel the same way. It made sense. With the way she clung to him he had suspicions that she might feel something for him. Her behavior changed, too, after Ezran left. She was more awkward and careful, blushing frequently. The casual intimacy between them had to have been so hard on her.

He didn't love her, and he didn't deserve her as a friend. It wasn't fair to her. She was too sweet, and kind, and caring, and he treated her so terribly.

Callum was hungry, but there was nothing to eat. Zym has eaten all the food. Callum didn't care. He just trudged along, hoping to find his friend alive, and not dead like he thought she was.

He was dangerously low on water. There was no source of clean water nearby that he knew of, so he tried his best to conserve it until he could make it back to the river. Until he could make it back to Rayla.

Callum heard a rustle in the bushes, snapping him back into reality. He readied his hand to draw fulminis again. He scanned in the direction the sound came from. Everything was still. He waited. It's what Rayla would do, right? She would hear a sound and then wait.

The prince was still weary after a few minutes, but resolved that is was nothing. Just the wind blowing.

"That was scary, wasn't it Zym?" He asked the dragon, knowing full well he couldn't answer anything beyond a bark or a chirp. But he was silent.

"Zym?" Callum called out. He looked around, but saw nothing that resembled his companion. He knew he would inevitably fail his mission to return the Dragon Prince to his mother. What he did not know was that he would fail this quickly. It had only been a day since his separation from Rayla and he already lost the princeling.

"ZYM!" he cried out, desperate. His voice startled a flock of birds, sending them skyward.

Callum sunk to the ground, a failure. Rayla loved him, and he left her. Zym needed him, and he lost him. The only person he had left was his brother, and he had no way of returning to him. He was hopeless.

He took a deep breath and let it out before sucking in another one.

"Come on, dummy. Would Rayla give up so easily?" He reprimanded himself, attempting to channel his inner Rayla. "That's a rhetorical question. You know she wouldn't, and neither should you."

He pushed himself to his feet. If he could find his friend, maybe she could help him find Zym. It would be embarrassing to admit that he lost the dragon, but he didn't care. This was bigger than him and his ego.

Callum walked west for about ten minutes until he heard the sound of the river. He then diverted his course south to meet the flowing water. He wasn't sure how far north or south he had diverged from his original course. He trusted his memory enough that he should be able to decide which direction to go in once he reached the river.

It was another five minutes before the prince arrived. Recognizing none of it, he resolved to follow it north west, towards the lake.

His stomach began to turn as he approached a familiar bend. His mind filled with questions. Would Rayla still be there? Would she want to see him again? And most importantly, was she still alive?

Dread set in. He saw the aftermath of their first run in with the hunter. She would have died had Callum not attempted to intervene, and even then they only survived out of dumb luck.

Callum slowed his approach. If Rayla was dead, the hunter was likely still there. Waiting for him. His senses sharpened by fear and adrenaline.

He heard a yipping noise, like a dog trying to wake its master. It seemed out of place to him, but he didn't think much of it. He had more important things to worry about. He needed to find his friend so they could in turn find Zym.

The massive form of the hunter came into view. Callum halted. His heart hammered in his chest.

"Stop and wait," he muttered to himself under his breath. "That's what Rayla would do. Stop and wait. Survey the situation. Don't just jump into it."

The yipping continued. It was starting to get annoying, and made it hard to focus.

Callum decided it would be against his better interest to attempt to climb a tree. He was a rather inept climber. The last time he tried to scale a tree, he ended up landing directly on his butt and had a root jammed into his tailbone.

He watched the hunter for a few minutes, inching ever so closer. After reducing the distance between them he realized just how unnatural of an angle the massive elf was laying at. He wasn't moving, either.

"Was he dead?" Callum thought. It didn't make sense. He doubted Rayla could do it physically, and he knew she would never kill anyone.

He dared to stand, to close the rest of the way. Something he would regret immediately.


	12. Chapter 12: His Fault

Callum was horrified as he drew closer to the still form of the hunter. The nature of his condition became very evident as the human came to a stop before him. There was what looked like a broken branch protruding from his chest, stained crimson. It appeared that one of Rayla's blades stuck through his knee. The warrior's left arm laid several feet away from him, cleaved off from a decisive swing, presumably of her other blade.

The hunter was dead.

He was dead and Callum wanted to vomit, but he had nothing in his stomach to expel. He had seen death before, but not this gruesome. Nor had he had the opportunity to truly take in the scene. He had seen dead bodies on the steps outside his father's chambers, but had been spared a prolonged look.

This was different. This would haunt him, and he knew it. But that didn't matter right now. He needed to find Rayla.

The prince walked over to the hunter, stopping beside his leg. He grabbed the hilt of Rayla's blade, and with both physical and mental difficulty he pulled it out, trying to ignore the wet sound the weapon made as it slid out of the hard, dead flesh. He then made his way over to the river to wash the blood off of it, finding it too dry and hard for the water to do much good.

Returning to the scene, he saw no immediate sign of his friend and began to hope that she had survived the encounter without injury.

There was another high-pitched bark and the prince turned to face the direction the noise was coming from.

He'd heard it earlier but it was closer now and easier to locate. Cautiously, he started walking.

He noticed after a moment that there was heavy disturbance in the brush marking a path in the same bearing. A long, dark red trail. Worried that it might be from Rayla, his steps accelerated.

He followed it, listening as the barking increased in volume. After a couple of minutes of walking, Callum realized that he recognized the sound. It was Zym, though a lot more frantic than he had ever heard. His heart pounded in anticipation. He knew he was drawing closer, and would be upon the princeling in a matter of moments.

Callum came to a clearing and spotted the dragon. He was barking at a motionless form that leaned against a tree. Its head hung low, the right hand clutching a bloodied bandage at its left side.

His heart sank. His blood ran cold. Fear and dread set in. He could barely recognize the form before him. The only discernible feature was her snow white hair. Everything else was covered in mud and blood, and Callum wasn't sure how much of it was hers.

The prince fell to his knees beside her. He had never seen her in such bad shape. Was she dead?

Leaning over, his hand hovered above her shoulder. A slight hint of warmth emanated from it and he could hear her breathing shallow, raspy breaths at an uneven rhythm. Her left arm hung uselessly at her side.

Callum reached out to silence the dragon by petting his muzzle. Zym gave him a worried look, seemingly asking, "why won't she wake up?"

"Shh, it's okay buddy. You found her." He felt numb, his voice shook. He didn't know what to do, but it was obvious that she definitely wasn't okay.

He dared to brush her cheek with his knuckles. "Rayla?"

She stirred, her eyes hardly opened as she tried to focus on Callum's face.

"Rayla, it's okay. I'm here. You're okay."

"Leave...me," she wheezed. The sound was somehow worse than her breathing. "I...'m already dead."

Callum was horrified. Tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. He refused to believe that this was the end. He denied it. She was his best friend, and he wasn't going to let her die. She was his best friend, and he was going to save her.

"Shut up! You're not dead, and you're not going to die!" Even though his words were firm, the voice that spoke them was uncertain. He stuffed Zym in his pack before turning back to Rayla. The prince knew that it wasn't always a good idea to move someone who was wounded, but he didn't have much of a choice. Carefully, he picked her up, making sure to brace her head against his shoulder. Her horns prodded painfully into it, but then she moved ever so slightly to assist him. "You're going to be okay, Rayla." He wasn't sure if he said it for her benefit, or his own.

She was surprisingly light in his arms, for some reason he had always imagined her being heavier. Her lithe body suddenly seemed less athletic and dangerous and more fragile, glass-like. Still, the ease at which he lifted her off the ground was surreal and he chalked it up to the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

With the hand that supported her knees he drew a rune, rotating his hand and finger about his wrist. "Pressulum."

The world once again turned to a blur, but this time he made sure to keep an eye on the river, using it as a guide as he made his way back to Loch Larden.

They had to have a healer there. Every town would have to have a healer. Rayla was so far beyond his ability to care for her. If it were up to him to mend her wounds, she would die, and it would be his fault. Even if she died now, it would be his fault. After all, she would die because he left her.

Running with someone in his arms was different. He was slower, and more than once he tripped, but by some miracle he managed to keep his grip and balance.

Callum stopped to catch his breath as the lake appeared before him. He sank to his knees and gently laid Rayla down on the ground so he could take a drink.

Kneeling at the lakeshore, he cupped his hands and drew from it. The cool liquid soothed his burning throat. When his thirst was quenched, he put his cloak on.

His stop was brief. He somehow knew that Rayla didn't have much time left. Her life force dwindled, and he could feel it. He could feel the ache in his heart when he turned back to look at her. He picked her up again, expecting her to move her horns out of the way. When she didn't he knew that she was in her last moments.

He also knew that, at this point, it would be dangerous to use the sprinting spell again. He was too close to the village and would likely overshoot without realizing, a mistake that would without doubt cause the death of his friend.

Rayla was growing heavier and heavier in his arms, dead weight in Callum's increasingly tired grasp. The spell had taken a lot out of him the first time, and would have taken twice as much the second, considering the doubling in load.

His breaths turned to gasps by the time he reached the gate. The guard approached him, but Callum spoke first.

"She needs a healer," his voice broke. "Please, she's dying."

Tears began to flow over his cheeks again. This was the first time he had actually spoken the words. She was dying and it was his fault.

The elf signaled something to one of his comrades before he addressed Callum.

"You look exhausted. Let me carry her."

"No." He didn't trust the guard, but realized he couldn't trust himself, either. Still, he wasn't about to let her go. Not again. He was afraid that if he handed her off he would never see her again.

The guard simply nodded in response, seeming to understand. "I'll show you the way. Come, with haste," he said, beckoning the prince to follow him.

Callum followed the elf until he stopped at a small building on the eastern side of the town square.

"This is healer Kairn's place. If anyone can save your friend, it would be her," he said as he opened the door for Callum.

A bell mounted to the door frame rang and a middle aged looking Sunfire elf stood up from behind a counter in the middle of the room. Upon seeing the form cradled in the prince's arms she spoke.

"There's a room in the back, dear. This way." Her voice was warm and caring, and Callum felt safe in her presence. He trusted her. He had done all he could to save Rayla. Now it was time to hand her off.

"Tell me everything that happened," Kairn said as she gestured for Callum to lay Rayla down in the bed. She immediately began examining the moon elf.

"W-we were attacked, and we got separated, so I'm not sure exactly what happened."

She pursed her lips but continued without looking up. "How long were you separated?"

"About a day and a half, maybe less."

The healer nodded. Her mouth curled into a small frown. "She doesn't appear to have any active bleeding, which is good. But she has lost a lot of blood and is showing signs of infection. She's going to have a difficult time pulling through."

"I-is she...is she going to make it?" His eyes didn't leave the broken and bloodied form of his friend.

"I will do my best to make sure she does. Now, if you would be so kind, help me get this armor off of her."

Callum stepped forward and fumbled around for a moment before finding the familiar straps on Rayla's chest guard. This was the first time Callum got a decent look at the deep gash in her side. It was maybe six inches long and lined with an unnatural green. It was an angry looking wound.

Kairn lifted Rayla's torso up off the bed so Callum could slide her chest guard over her head.

"I'll take things from here, thank you." The healer dismissed him to the waiting room.

Callum didn't want to leave Rayla's side. Not again. But he had no choice. At least this time he was leaving her with someone who would help her and probably wouldn't try to kill her.

He found a plush looking chair in the waiting room and slumped into it. He hadn't realized how physically drained he felt until the adrenaline had subsided. Sleep claimed the exhausted boy within seconds.

Some time later, Kairn gently shook him awake and gave him a warm smile when his eyes focused on her.

"Sorry to wake you," she said apologetically, "but I'll be closing soon. Before I do, I'd like to discuss a few things with you."

Callum swallowed and then nodded.

The healer went on to list and explain Rayla's various injuries from decreasing severity. She started with the deep gash just below the Moonshadow elf's rib cage on her left side. It had caused her a severe amount of blood loss and was also infected. Then there was her dislocated shoulder, explaining it's limp appearance when Callum found her.

Kairn mentioned that Rayla's previously broken ribs were healing nicely, and she should have full range of motion at about the same time her shoulder was finished healing.

The prince only gave a curt nod, remaining silent when the Sunfire elf was done.

"It would be best if she stayed here for a few days so I can monitor her condition," the healer said after a pause.

Once again, her patron hardly acknowledged this last sentence, but Kairn knew she had been understood. She studied the boy's expression for a moment. She could see the pain and fear in his eyes, but there was something else there, too. Something not quite… elvish. A strange young man, but then what could one expect from someone rushing a more dead than alive friend to a healer?

"She's still asleep, and probably will be for a while, but you can go in and see her now."

Anxiety welled up in Callum's stomach. Would he even recognize her?

His hesitation prompted another comment from Kairn.

"In your own time," the healer said, concerned. "Do you want me to have a look at you, too? You seem rather pale."

"I'm alright, just exhausted and hungry," the prince lied, quietly, and the healer frowned.

"I'll be here if you need me."

Callum took a deep breath before standing, shaking his previous thoughts off. She was asleep now, and she was going to get better. He had nothing to worry about. Not anymore. The one who did this to her was dead, and could never hurt her again.

He walked to her room, noticing that the door was slightly ajar. He sucked in another breath before pushing it open, then stood in the doorway for a moment, unsure as to whether he would actually go inside.

When he finally did, he hesitated once more, closer to her bed. He felt as though he was intruding on her now.

Rayla looked so peaceful, now that the blood and dirt had been washed away, almost as if she had dozed off after a long day. It reminded Callum of two days ago when she had fallen asleep on the bed while he was taking a bath.

Unlike then, there was a sadness to her beauty now, like a flower, plucked the day prior. There was almost no color to her, her lips almost the same hue as her skin. They looked cracked and dry, slightly parted in sleep. A frown snuck onto his drawn face.

He couldn't believe that he was thinking of her appearance right now, given what she had been through, it seemed like a gross misalignment of priorities.

She had a blanket brought up to her chest which was tucked under her, tightly. While her right arm laid at her side, her left was in a sling, draped across her stomach.

Her hair was messy from being washed, strands clumped together and stuck to her forehead. He reached a hand out to comb her it out of her face. A strange impulse, that he decided meant that he wanted her to be comfortable.

Since he wasn't a healer, that was really all he could do, move some hair around. He wasn't totally sure if she'd appreciate it. The whole situation was so strange, so surreal. If she had been conscious, he could've at least asked if she wanted him here.

Lost in bitter thought, he caught himself stroking her cheek with the top of his curled index. It was cold and clammy. Mixed in with the insecurity and confusion he felt, he realized how much he missed her, and he hated himself passionately for leaving her with an enemy.

He wanted her to wake up, to be okay so she could tell him how selfish he had been. She should be angry and hate him for leaving her, for running away without so much as an argument.

Callum balled his fists and pressed them into the bed as he lowered his head between them. He began to sob, asking himself the same question over and over: How could he abandon her like this?

Rayla deserved better. Still, he couldn't help but want to pull her into his arms and hold her until she woke and continue to hold her so no more harm would come to her. Of course, this was a silly thought since he knew that if she recovered, it would be the other way around, again.

Only now did he admit to himself that, maybe, this was not just a friendly impulse, anymore. It felt as though his own well-being was linked to hers and not just in the obvious manner of the protection she had provided.

He bit his lower lip, hard enough to draw blood, the taste of iron failing to register in his mind.

Did he actually feel the same way about her as she did about him?

He'd had the thought, sure, but he was keenly aware of his dependence on her that cast doubt on his ability to separate between it and love. Even now, he wasn't totally sure whether the feeling that wanted out of his chest in the form of tears was genuine.

His next thought solved the riddle for him.

He had just saved her life. For all his issues with abandoning her in the first place, he had picked her up and ran himself ragged. He wasn't just some idiot who would stand by, powerless.

Sure, alone he would die here, his growling stomach confirming the theory, painfully.

But apparently, so would she.

He wasn't just dependent on her, she was dependent on him, too.

Callum pulled up a chair and sat.

"I... love you," he said, quietly, into the room. It sounded as though he was testing the phrase.

From the door came a quiet sigh. Kairn smirked at him, sadly.

"I'm sorry. That was probably not meant for me."

Despite everything, the prince flushed a little as the healer stepped inside.

"It's fine," he quavered, "should I leave?"

"No, don't worry. I mean to check on her pulse and breathing."

Deft hands moved to Rayla's neck and a mirror came up to her mouth, its cold surface fogging up and drying off with each of her shallow breaths.

"You... sounded like you weren't quite sure, young man," the healer said, "She doesn't know, does she?"

"No. As dumb as that probably sounds... I just figured it out, myself. She confessed to me, before all this. I shot her down", his nose stung, "I... don't... all I can think about right now is how she might die without knowing that..."

Kairn shook her head. "It's a full moon tonight and she is an extremely healthy young woman. She'll make it."

Callum heaved a deep sigh of relief, tears flowing, regardless. "She's too stubborn to die, you're right."

Kairn turned toward him, a frown on her face. "You are... rather human, aren't you?"

The prince stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Don't look at me like that. I suspected you the moment you walked in. Your complexion, the exhausted flush, the blue under your eyes... it was all a bit off," Kairn smiled, "However, you don't seem terribly menacing."

There was a commotion at the door and Callum startled once more. Kairn held up a finger, bidding him to wait quietly, then strode out of the room.

Cold sweat collected on the prince's forehead and palms. He'd been found out and there was a good chance that the healer had locked him in and called the guards.

A moment later, the door opened to a very confused looking sun elf and an extremely happy dragon.

"Zym!" Callum exclaimed, quietly, the fact that the whelp hadn't been around only now sinking in.

Barking, the dragon prince jumped into his arms and the prince felt even worse about himself, looking at his charges' dish-sized eyes.

"I forgot about you," he cried, petting the dragon's mane, "I'm so sorry!"

Forgiveness was wet, Zym's tongue streaking across his face.

In the door, Kairn still stood, thunderstruck. "He is a sky dragon whelp! Is this... is... is he the dragon prince!?"

It was at this point that Callum decided to simply tell her. They'd be here for a while and keeping his secret now was going to be more dangerous than being upfront about it. So, he explained the whole journey.

When he was done, Kairn regarded him, then Rayla, then her gaze pinned to Zym.

"I must say... I'm rather impressed. It takes a lot to undertake a journey such as this. Don't worry, I'm no tattle-tale. Your mission and identity are safe with me."

She yawned, then motioned at the second, empty bed in the room. "Feel free to rest, Prince Callum. I've had a long, exhausting day, and you seem to be worse off."

"Thank you", the human said, then frowned, uncomfortably, "I don't mean to impose, but I haven't eaten anything for a bit..."

"Nonsense, I'll find something to eat for you", the healer laughed, then gave him a crooked look, "and a washcloth..."

Callum slumped back into his chair as she strode out of the room, still struggling to analyze his encounter with the Sunfire elf. She had suspected that he was human, yet still helped him and Rayla.

He sighed. Was it too much to hope that there were more elves in Xadia who were willing to help? Out of all of the notable elves they had come across, one had tried to kill them, one had been rather perverted, but Kairn was different. She had compassion, and empathy, much like Rayla did. It gave him confidence that their journey, their sacrifice, wouldn't be in vain.

A moment later, the healer stepped through the doorway holding a food tray and what appeared to be a stack of cloth. Callum was about to stand to receive it when she told him to remain seated.

"I brought you some stew and bread, as promised. As well as a washcloth and pajamas."

"Thank you," he said as she placed the tray down on the table next to him. "Thank you, for everything. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

Kairn smiled at him. "No need. I'm happy enough to play a small role in the end of this war."

"Now," she yawned, "Unless you are in need of anything else, I would like to go rest."

He shook his head.

"Just holler if you need me," she said through another yawn. "And make sure not to eat too quickly, I'm not fond of cleaning up vomit."

Callum chuckled at her comment. His relief at the situation was palpable. First, she didn't seem like she was going to turn him in. Second, while he still worried for Rayla, he had faith that she was going to make it thanks to Kairn, the second most selfless elf he knew.

The prince ate quietly, tossing pieces to Zym every so often. Once he finished he let the princeling lick the remnants of the stew from his bowl, realizing he hadn't asked the healer what to do with his dirty dishes. He frowned slightly at his resolution to simply let them sit on the table for her to collect in the morning.

He was tired. The only thing that drove him to stand was the knowledge that the bed was going to be a lot more comfortable to sleep in. He glanced over at Rayla. His heart was heavy for her and he wished there was more he could do to help her.

He stretched his tired muscles and picked up the washcloth and change of pajamas Kairn brought him. Making his way over to the other bed he pulled the privacy curtain around it, setting the pajamas on the bedside table. It was unlikely that she would wake up any time soon, but he saw no need to risk disrobing in front of her.

Callum peeled his gloves off his hands and grabbed the washcloth. He tried to ignore the fact that he was cleaning Rayla's blood off his hands, but found it difficult due to the amount of it there was. Her blood was on his hands and it was his fault. He shuddered at the thought, and in that moment he made a silent vow that he was never going to let anything like this happen to her again.

Once he was done with the washcloth he quickly changed out of his filthy, blood covered clothes. No longer needing it, he opened the privacy curtain again. He crawled into the bed and relished in the physical comfort it brought him. He rolled onto his side he took one final glance at Rayla before his exhaustion finally overcame him.


	13. Chapter 13: Wake Up

It had been three days since Callum brought Rayla to Kairn. Three days and Rayla was still unconscious. The healer told him not to worry, that this sort of thing was typical for a brush with death, but predictably he worried anyways.

It was all he could do. Watch over her with fear and regret, blaming himself for everything that happened.

When Rayla woke up, he resolved, he was going to beg for her forgiveness. Should she forgive him, he would confess his feelings for her. He was hopeful that she still felt the same way, that he didn't ruin any chance he had with her.

The prince shook his head at himself. He was being selfish again. He should be more worried about her physical well-being rather than any potential for a relationship with her.

Still, he couldn't help but ponder the exact moment when he fell for her. Was it when she left to save that dragon from that platoon of human soldiers and his two former best friends? He had been upset when she left. He still thought she was stupid to have gone off like that on her own. It had despared him enough to drive him to do Dark Magic to save her, something which he despised with all of his being.

Or was it the moment when she was pinned down by the hunter, with his blade to her throat? It had instilled so much fear in him. He was beside himself.

But it wasn't either of those. Both of those images tore his heart in two. Terror was associated with them, not love. The idea of losing her was unfathomable. A month he had known her and she had already changed his life, for the better. To lose her now would destroy him.

His mind traveled back to their first meeting. She tried to kill him, yet he still thought she was pretty. But then, not even an hour later, she was willing to fight Runaan. She was willing to fight her mentor, her father figure. She had been willing to die for what was right.

Again, she offered up her life to storm into that tower to save his father. Rayla had shown him such devotion right from the start.

And when the King finally fell, she couldn't tell him or his brother because she cared too much. She didn't want to hurt them. Then, when Callum tried to tell Ez, he couldn't either, for the same reason. She had been there to comfort him, to hold him as he wept.

A bitter thought arose. Claudia had been the one to tell him about his father, and she used that moment to try to manipulate him into going home. She did so only after using his feelings for her against him by going on that date. Claudia betrayed them. She betrayed him and broke his heart.

But there Rayla was again, comforting him on the back of Phoe Phoe. All she had to do was smile. She smiled and he felt like everything was going to be okay, that nothing was ever going to hurt him again. She smiled and he fell in love.

Had it really been that long ago? And why had it taken him until now to realize it? Why had it taken her almost dying? His discovery of the moment he fell for her had only brought more questions than it did answers, and it frustrated him.

Rayla stirred, which brought Callum back into the present. Her brow scrunched together as she struggled to find a more comfortable position. This wasn't the first time she had done this, but every time it filled Callum with anxiety. He was still so unsure of what he was going to say to her, of how he was going to try to convince her to forgive him, despite the fact that he didn't believe he deserved it.

But like every other time, she simply resumed her slumber. The boy's heart dropped. Dread began to set in as he feared she may never wake up again, that the events had forced her into a sort of coma in which she would never awaken from.

"Kairn?" He called through the closed door.

A moment later the healer poked her head in with an inquisitive gaze.

"S-she stirred again…" he trailed off.

"I understand your concern that she may never wake up, but I can assure you that she will." Kairn did well to hide the mild irritation from her voice. She paused, and the next time she spoke her voice was softer. "I also understand that you blame yourself for her condition. If what you've told me about her is true, she will forgive you."

Callum still doubted her every word. Rayla wasn't going to wake up and it was his fault. She wasn't going to forgive him and he didn't deserve it. But he couldn't help but imagine what their life would be like together. He had simple desires. Callum wanted to wake up every morning with his arms around her, and hers around him, with her face buried in his chest, and their legs tangled together.

Ezran would undoubtedly be elated to see them come home together, hand in hand, to be there during their wedding ceremony. He would be ecstatic to be uncle to their children. The prince envisioned the King showering them in love and jelly tarts.

"You should get some rest yourself," she interrupted his thoughts. "Medically speaking, you look positively dreadful." She spoke the second sentence over her shoulder as she strode out of the room, closing the door behind her.

This part the prince knew to be true. He had hardly slept since the first night. He didn't allow himself the luxury. He wanted to be there in her first waking moments, if only to be a familiar face so she didn't freak out. Then, after that, if she never wanted to see him again, he would understand.

He broke his promise to never leave her not even an hour after he made it. How could she ever trust him again?

"C-Callum?"

He snapped back into reality. He heard his name, but didn't recognize the voice. It was hoarse and barely above a whisper. The prince only realized its source when he looked down and saw two violet eyes peering at him through two slits between her eyelids.

Callum blinked at her several times, unsure if he was daydreaming. She repeated his name, this time a little more clearly, before she attempted to sit up.

He rushed over to help her into a sitting position. She winced at the pain in her side, and the stiffness in the rest of her body as she leaned forward. He bunched the pillow up behind her so she had something to sit against. Once she was in a comfortable position he drew back from her.

He found his hand lingering on her right shoulder before bringing it down past her elbow, towards her hand. Upon realizing what he was doing, he jolted back as if his hand had been burned. Rayla frowned, as though she had found it to be a soothing sensation.

The prince shut his eyes, forcing tears out that he hadn't realized were there. He told himself that in this moment he would beg for her forgiveness, but he couldn't form words as he broke into sobs. All his guilt and shame pushed itself to the surface, trying to for its way out.

"Callum, what's wrong?" Her voice broke, brows knitted together in a frown. This was the first time she had seen him cry since he found out about his father. It hurt her to see him like this.

"W-what's w-wrong?" He repeated between sobs. "I left you! I left you with that monster, Rayla. I left you to die."

He buried his face into the sheets as tears cascaded down his cheeks, leaving a wet spot in the fabric.

"I told myself that I would beg for your forgiveness when you woke up, knowing that I don't deserve it. But what point is that if I can't forgive myself?"

Rayla gingerly lifted her right hand to press it against his forehead. Feeling the pressure, he lifted his head and allowed her to comb his hair from his eyes, but he didn't face her.

"Callum look at me," her voice was soft and firm at the same time.

He hesitated.

"Callum," she pled.

The boy turned to her, his green eyes meeting her violet. His vision was too blurry to read her expression.

She moved her hand from his forehead to cradle his cheek.

"You left because I told you to," she said as she wiped a tear away. "I couldn't risk us both dyin' there. It hurt to send you away, but it's your life that matters, not mine. I'm a soldier. I'm expendable."

"No." He stood and turned his back to her, letting her hand drop back onto the bed. "Don't say that."

"It's the truth, Callum. You're the one who needs to deliver Z-"

"Have you ever stopped to consider that I love you, too?" He nearly shouted. "You're not expendable, Rayla," he said, much softer. "Not to me."

Rayla was dumbfounded. He loved her, too? He loved her, and she sent him away. But she did it to protect him, so he didn't have to die. She loved him, and she wanted him to live, ignorant of how he would feel without her, oblivious to how he felt.

"I'm sorry, Rayla. I shouldn't have raised my voice." He turned back to her, brow furrowed, eyes glistening with tears. "You should be angry with me. You should be mad, so that I have to beg for your forgiveness."

With his every word her heart broke a little bit more. It was her turn to well up. "Why would I be mad at you, Callum?"

"Because, I left you."

"You left because I told you to," she sniffed. What Rayla didn't tell him was how afraid she was that he left her for good, that she was going to die there alone. "You left, but then you came back. You came back, and you stayed."

"So, you're not angry?"

She shook her head and smiled at him. "No, Callum. I'm relieved."

The boy approached her and paused at the side of her bed. He looked at her as if to ask for permission to sit closer to her. Her smile only grew wider as he sat. By the gods Callum had missed that. Despite her beaten and battered appearance, she wore the same expression that Callum had fallen in love with nearly three weeks ago. He fell in love with it then, and again just now.

A breath hitched in his throat as she pulled him into a one-armed embrace. His arms hung timidly at his sides before he returned it. New tears, this time happy, made themselves known as he took in her scent.

"I missed you so much, Rayla." He squeezed as tight as he could without hurting the injured girl. "I missed you so, so much."

"I missed you, too. But we're together now."

Callum sniffed as he pulled back. "Yeah, we are."

Rayla lifted her hand to caress his cheek, and he placed his on top of hers.

His green eyes stared deep into her violet ones. He saw nothing but love and affection in them. No hatred, no disdain, no anger like he had expected, only selfless admiration.

He wanted to kiss her, so he did, and she didn't hesitate to kiss him back. Her lips were dry and cracked, but he didn't care. He was kissing the girl he realized he had loved this entire time. The anxiety and guilt from their separation drifted away as they melted into each other. Neither showed any sign of letting up.

What felt like hours passed between them before they parted their lips. Even then they remained close. They pressed their foreheads together and relished in the beauty of the other.

"I love you, Rayla," he said after a long moment of silence.

"I love you too, Callum."

Their cheeks were pink, and they both had dumb, triumphant smiles on their faces. They were finally together again, in more ways than one. Callum held her face in his hand and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs.

Kairn sighed wistfully from the doorway. "See Callum, I told you it would work out in the end."

The prince squealed and jumped off the bed, away from Rayla, his face bright red.

"Callum, why aren't you disguised?" Rayla shot at him.

"Oh, don't worry. I mean the human no harm. I found out his identity the day he brought you here," the healer chuckled softly.

"Yes, uhh Rayla, this is Kairn, the healer who saved you. Kairn, this is Rayla, my uhh, friend?" The question of their relational status was obvious.

"Friend you say, hmm?" The Sunfire elf chuckled, and Callum's face somehow got even redder. She approached Rayla and stood on the opposite side of the bed as Callum. "It is good to see you are awake, young Moonshadow. How is the pain?"

Rayla exchanged a glance with her human companion who frowned ever so slightly at her. It was enough to convince her to tell the truth. "It's...a bit unbearable."

"I'll get something to alleviate it. I'll check the wound on your side when I get back. The bandage is due to be replaced, anyhow." She flashed a smile at the pair before moving out of the room.

The prince stood there in an awkward silence, unsure what to do with himself. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He took a seat in the chair next to Rayla's bed, looking at anything and everything except for her.

"Callum?" He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice.

"Y-yeah?" He answered, finally looking at her.

Rayla bit her lip, weighing her next words. "A-are you embarrassed to be seen with me?"

"What? No." Callum kneeled at the side of her bed and took her hand in his, heaving a sigh. "She just caught me off guard, again."

She looked at him incredulously. "Again?"

The boy sighed again. "When I first brought you here I was so scared that I was going to lose you." He shifted his hand so their fingers interlocked. He began to well up. "I was terrified that you would never wake up again. I told you that I loved you, even though I knew you couldn't hear me, but Kairn did hear me. That's also when she discovered I was human, but she still helped you." He paused. "I love you, Rayla, and I have ever since we left the Moon Nexus. We were riding on the back of Phoe Phoe, and you smiled at me to comfort me after Claudia betrayed me. You smiled, and I fell in love with you."

She frowned slightly. "I'm so sorry I put you through that. I promise that whatever we face from now on, we'll do it together." Rayla gave him the same smile. "Has it really been that long? That seems like forever ago."

He chuckled. "It's only been two and a half weeks since then!"

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while. Callum brought the chair up closer to the side of the bed so he could sit more comfortably, all the while maintaining his soft grip on her hand. He began to stroke the back of it with his thumb as she began to doze off.

He gazed down at their interlocked fingers. Something about it just seemed so right. Her four fingers in his five, nothing was out of place. He brought her hand up and pressed his lips to the back of it as she fell asleep. Traces of a smile were still present on her face. She looked peaceful, she looked perfect.

Callum knew immediately that he wanted to immortalize this moment. He pulled out his sketchbook and set to work.

Some time later, when he was nearly finished with his sketch, Kairn returned, apologizing for the time it took her. She hadn't realized how low she was on some of her supplies and had to go to the market.

"Should I wake her up?" He asked.

"No, let her sleep through this. Besides, she looks so calm, I would hate to ruin that." She smiled at him.

The healer moved the blanket and Rayla's shirt up just high enough to access the wound. She slowly peeled the bandage off.

"Ah, that's looking much better than it did when you brought her here. Would you like to see?" She asked, looking up at the boy.

He stood and walked around the bed to get a better look. The wound was much less green and angry looking, more reddish and appeared to be slightly smaller.

The healer then took a damp rag to it and placed a fresh bandage over the wound. She replaced her shirt and the blanket.

"Well, she seems to have the right idea. You should get some rest, too, Prince Callum."

As if on cue, the boy yawned.

"I'll wake both of you soon for supper." With that, she strode out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Kairn was right. He was absolutely exhausted. The past few days without sleep were catching up to him. Callum walked back to his chair and was about to sit down before he had a better idea. Lifting the blanket up, he crawled into bed beside Rayla. Her sleeping form seemed to welcome him as she scooched herself over to give him more room. Her head lolled and rested itself on his shoulder as he found a comfortable position, and upon finding her hand, their fingers interlocked once again. Callum was asleep within moments.


	14. Chapter 14: Clingy Human

Rayla stirred at the scent of their dinner, and her hungry stomach made itself evident, waking her the rest of the way. She realized she hadn't eaten in four days and was absolutely starving.

Upon opening her eyes she discovered that her head rested on Callum's shoulder still. It was a surprise, but a welcome one at that. She breathed in deep, and groaned at the ache in her side. She attempted to reach her good hand over to hold her side in an effort to soothe the ache, but was hindered as she noticed she was already holding something.

She smiled and squeezed Callum's hand, nudging him lightly with her elbow.

"Wake up, dummy. Food's here."

He moaned slightly as he roused. "Food can wait...you're really comfortable…"

Rayla chucked. "Well at least let go of my hand. I haven't eaten in days, and I'm not about to let my hot meal go cold."

"No, I need it. It's mine." He mumbled as he nuzzled closer to her, grabbing her hand with both of his now.

"Callum-" she was interrupted as he let out a loud, obviously fake, snore.

"Cal-" he did it again.

Rayla grumbled, but managed to wrestle her hand from his grip. He was decidedly unhappy about this. He proceeded to wrap his arms around her torso, mumbling, "fine, I'll just take the rest of you then." Miraculously, he managed to miss both of the tender areas of her left side with his embrace. Unfortunately, this did nothing to help her predicament.

"Clingy human," she sighed.

Rayla couldn't help but find this endearing, however. Even in his half awake state he never wanted to let her go. She smiled down at him and kissed the top of his head as it rested on her chest.

Meanwhile, Kairn silently watched the whole exchange. "You two are utterly adorable, do you realize?"

Rayla flushed upon realizing her audience, but the healer ignored her embarrassment.

"I would have woken you sooner, but you both just looked so cute! I couldn't bring myself to ruin the moment." She sighed, "sorry I keep walking in on you like this. I truly do have impeccable timing." Rayla let out a mildly uncomfortable chuckle at her dripping sarcasm.

"Mind if I take a look at your shoulder?" Kairn asked, and Rayla nodded hesitantly.

The Sunfire elf stepped to the side of the bed and leaned over to untie the knot in the sling over Rayla's right shoulder. "I'll do my best to not disturb your friend," she said with a smirk as she gently lifted his head to gain access to the injured arm. "I'm going to test your range of motion. It's going to be uncomfortable since your muscles had already began adjusting to their new position before realigning the joint. Let me know when it becomes unbearable."

Rayla hissed slightly as arm was brought almost perpendicular to her chest. Kairn stopped immediately. She then moved it outwards until she began feeling resistance. Humming in approval, she then bent it up towards Rayla's head, who hissed again. Nodding to herself, Kairn placed the arm back into the sling.

"My prior diagnosis still stands. You should have full range of motion once your ribs are finished heeling." She paused. "How are those feeling, by the way?"

"Still pretty sore. Hurts to take a deep breath or laugh."

"Hmm, yes. They're mending. It was a full break, was it not?"

"Yeah. Two broken clean through, and one cracked."

Kairn nodded again. "Drink this tea. It will help with the pain," she said as she poured it from an enchanted teapot into a small cup, handing it over once it was full.

Rayla recognized the sent, but couldn't quite place it. She took a small sip and almost spat it out, but managed to force it down.

"Blech, that tastes like wood!"

"Well, it is tea made from willow bark, so that would be an accurate assessment." The healer smirked. "Drink up, it'll help."

"You should wake that one soon, before his food gets cold." Kairn gestured to Callum as she strode out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Rayla took several more gulps of the tea until it was gone, shuddering at the bitter taste.

She began stroking the prince's hair in an effort to wake him again.

"Callum," her voice barely above a whisper. "It's time to wake up."

"Okay mom, give me a minute," he mumbled.

Did he just call her 'mom'? Her heart swelled. She reminded him of his mother, the one woman in his life he truly loved. From what Callum told her, his mother was an esteemed warrior, and had a furious heart for her family. She loved them with everything she had. Rayla was honored at the comparison, even though she knew she would never be truly worthy of it.

"Okay, my prince," Rayla sniffed. Tears welled up in her eyes as she kissed the boy's head. "I hope to make your mother proud. Wherever she is."

"What was that, Rayla?" Callum asked, sitting up. He looked at her with groggy eyes.

"Oh, uhh, nothing." Pausing to think, she decided that she was going to bring this up again with him, later. "I love you, Callum."

He drew a broad grin. "I love you too, Rayla."

His expression turned to uncertainty. "Is it okay if I kiss you?"

She gave him a mischievous smirk. "You better."

The broad grin returned for only a moment before his lips made contact with hers. The kiss held just as much passion and vigor as the first, only this one felt ever so slightly more practiced. It also had the benefit that Rayla's lips weren't so dry as previously. There was, however, a minute downfall.

Callum was the first to break contact. He brought his sleeve up to his mouth to wipe it off.

"Rayla, why do your lips taste like wood?"

"Oh, sorry. I should've told you. The tea that Kairn...?" Her pause asking if she had the name correct, to which Callum confirmed with a nod, "that Kairn brought me to help with the pain was made from willow bark, and, well, that's what it tastes like."

"Well, it looks like she brought us some moonberry juice. Maybe we could try that again after drinking it, eh?"

"For once in my life, I like the way you're thinkin', dummy."

Callum turned sheepish and Rayla wondered if her joke had been too much.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked with a small frown.

"Sorry for not asking the first time I kissed you."

She was taken aback for a moment. "What? No, you have nothing to apologize for. I was actually kind of happy you didn't ask and you just did it."

"So you're not opposed to surprise kisses?"

"I can't say they'll always be appreciated, but I'll let you know when they aren't. For the time bein' though, keep 'em comin'," she sniggered. "After we eat, of course. I'm starving."

The question tugged at her heart. Would Callum's mother have liked her? And what of his father, whom she was ordered to kill? Would they have been prejudiced against her because she was an elf, and attempted to force her and Callum apart? Or would they have accepted her for who she was, and taken her in like a daughter?

Her head swam with uncertainty. Of course Callum and Ezran liked her, but they hadn't had to endure the wrongs of her people, save for the death of their father, which she actively tried to prevent. They had forgiven her, but would someone older have done the same? Or would they have been blinded by the desire for revenge, to take back what was taken from them?

This was hardly what she should be thinking right now. She should be happy now that she was with Callum, and she was. But even then, it still didn't feel like enough. There was something missing, and Rayla couldn't place what it was.

"Rayla, are you okay?" He looked concerned, but it barely seemed to register to her.

"I'm fine." She gave him a weak, unconvincing smile, but he didn't press on.

Maybe she was just being selfish, and Callum really was more than enough. More than what she deserved.

Rayla took as deep a breath as she could, and let it out slowly. She was getting herself all worked up over nothing. Everything was fine. She had Callum now. That's all she needed. That's all she wanted.

"How are you holding up?" She asked, trying to distract herself from these intrusive thoughts. "Did you get enough rest?"

"Yeah, I got plenty," he said through a yawn.

"That wasn't very convincing." She smirked at him.

"Yeah, alright. I could do with some more. But so could you. You still have a lot of healing to do before we're ready to set off again."

Right. The mission. She couldn't believe she let herself forget about that. She had been so caught up in this utopia with Callum over the past few hours that she completely forgot about their reason for being here. It was to return Zym to his mother.

Speaking of the little bugger, he was mooching, as per usual. Sitting, watching her and Callum eat, lazily flipping his tail about, with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Would ya look at that, Callum. If we could win over the humans and elves with Zym's adorableness, we'd be all set. Otherwise, he's completely useless."

"That's hardly an appropriate thing to say about The Dragon Prince," He sniggered. "But he's more useful than you think. He helped me find you, after all."

Rayla looked at Callum with a questioning gaze, but his attention was set on the princeling. She was surprised, to say the least. That's two times now that that little dragon had saved her, or part of her.

She had quite obviously underestimated him. Frowning slightly at herself, she tossed a piece of fruit, which the dragon caught mid-air. It was a miraculous catch, but his landing was less than graceful, causing both the human and the elf to laugh at his misfortune.

Rayla sighed deeply as she finished her meal. "That was the best food I've ever eaten."

"Kairn's stew is the best. I'm going to miss it."

"Are you going to miss her?" She smirked at him.

"Ehh, if she would stop walking in on us."

"That I can agree with," she chuckled.

Callum smiled and simply stared at her, and her heart fluttered. She could tell by the look in his eyes that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. What had she done to deserve him? Someone so sweet, and kind. It seemed like every time she looked at him she found something new to fall in love with. She took one final sip of her moonberry juice, and he took the hint.

He leaned forward until his lips made contact with hers. He separated from her only to say, "that tastes better…" Rayla giggled as their lips met once more. Callum brought a hand up to trace the shape of her ear, and upon reaching it's tip he flicked it lightly, causing her to giggle again. His other hand made its way into her hair, his fingertips stroked her scalp. Rayla reached her good hand up to his cheek and began stroking his cheek with her thumb.

Callum's fingers found the base of her horn and she let out a soft moan. Startled, he separated from her again, giving her a concerned look. "I-is that okay? For me to touch your horns?"

"It's more than okay, dummy. Just be gentle with them," she affirmed him. "Now get back here, I'm not done kissin' you yet."

He obliged.

Zym seemed ecstatic with their display of affection, and yipped approvingly, to which they paid no attention to. They were enraptured with each other. Nothing else in the world mattered to them. They were finally together, and they wouldn't let anything part them again.

Callum and Rayla only pulled away from each other because they had run out of breath. They resolved to allow things such as that to separate them, the overwhelming necessity to live, if only so they could bask in each other's presence for that much longer.

"I'm tired, Callum," she yawned.

"Yeah, so am I," he said, mimicking her.

She leaned back onto the bed and rested her head on the pillow. Her eyes were already closed and she was half asleep before she realized something was missing.

"You gonna come here and snuggle with me, or are you gonna just sit there and watch me fall asleep?"

Callum weighed his options. "Both sound good, but snuggling is definitely better."

He laid down next to her and draped his arm across her stomach, just below her injured arm, his head resting on her shoulder. They were both asleep soon after.


End file.
